A small town in Portugal experienced a bizarre phenomenon on Sunday, when a river of wine flowed through its streets,

 Following the rupture of two tanks at a local distillery. The spill was so huge that it could have filled an Olympic-size swimming pool, and prompted an environmental alert.

The incident occurred in São Lorenco de Bairro, a coastal town with about 2,000 residents. Two tanks owned by Levira Distillery, which were holding 600,000 gallons of red wine, suddenly gave way and released the alcoholic beverage into the town.

A video posted online showed the wine rushing down a steep hill, creating a red stream that resembled blood. Some locals were seen trying to scoop up the wine with buckets, while others watched in disbelief.

The wine spill threatened to contaminate the nearby Certima River, which could have caused serious ecological damage.


The Anadia Fire Department responded to the emergency and managed to block off the wine flood, and divert it away from the river. Instead, the wine was directed to a nearby field, where it soaked the soil.

Firefighters said that a basement in a home near the distillery was also flooded with wine, and they helped to pump it out.

Levira Distillery apologized for the incident, and said it took immediate action to clean up and repair the damage. It said it assumed full responsibility for the costs associated with the spill.

“We are committed to resolving this situation as quickly as possible,” it said in a statement.

It added that the wine-soaked soil at the field has been taken to a special treatment plant, where it will be processed and disposed of safely.


No one was injured in the incident, and no arrests were made. However, some locals expressed their frustration and anger at the distillery for wasting so much wine and endangering the environment.

One resident told a local newspaper: “It’s a shame that so much wine was lost. It could have been used for something better than flooding our streets.”

Another resident said: “This is an environmental disaster. They should be held accountable for polluting our river and our land.”