Residents of Sao Lorenco de Bairro village in Portugal were in for an unusual sight on Sunday when a river of red wine flowed through their streets. The startling incident occurred when two massive tanks owned by Levira Distillery, a leading winemaker of Portugal, containing a staggering 6,00,000 gallons (2.2 million litres) of wine, unexpectedly ruptured, leading to the unexpected flow of the crimson liquid.

Videos of the wine river made their way online, capturing the moment when the red wine rushed downhill through the town, home to approximately 2,000 residents. Local media estimated that the quantity of wine discharged in this mishap could fill around 29, 33,333 wine bottles or even an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

The streets of Levira, Portugal were flooded with red wine after a distillery’s 2.2 million liter tanks burst.

pic.twitter.com/kwEPNKRjVu— Pop Base (@PopBase) September 11, 2023

According to a New York Post report, the spill raised significant environmental concerns, prompting an immediate response from local authorities. The Anadia Fire Department intervened, redirecting the wine away from the nearby Certima River to prevent contamination. A basement in a home near the distillery was flooded with wine, but no injuries were reported.

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In an official statement posted on Facebook, Levira Distillery expressed regret for the incident and assured that an investigation into the cause was underway. The company also pledged to take full responsibility for the costs associated with clean-up and repairs.

The New York Post reported that the wine-soaked soil in the affected field had been taken to a specialised treatment plant to mitigate any potential environmental damage.

According to a report by the Washington Post, in Portugal, the European Union estimates that wine consumption will drop by 34 per cent this year, especially for red and rosé wines. To tackle this issue, the Ministry of Agriculture in Portugal is spending 20 million Euros to turn wine into other products. They are doing this to help stabilise the wine market.

This emergency plan involves taking wines that have special marks, like Protected Designation of Origin or Protected Geographical Indication. These marks show that a product comes from a specific region and has a good reputation. Instead of selling these wines, they are being used in different ways to try to fix the wine market in Portugal.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)