In an extraordinary turn of events, São Lourenço do Bairro, a quaint town in Portugal, found itself grappling with an inundation of red wine as massive storage tanks ruptured, unleashing millions of liters onto its streets.
Approximately 2.2 million liters of wine, equivalent to some 581,000 gallons, spilled from two breached tanks at Destilaria Levira on Sunday, as reported by the local newspaper Diário de Coimbra. A viral video capturing the incident depicts a veritable “river of wine” coursing down a sloping street, surging over its curbs.
In response to the calamity, the company issued a statement expressing profound regret over the incident and vowing to cover the expenses associated with the cleanup operation. Situated in close proximity to Portugal’s coastline, São Lourenço do Bairro is approximately an hour’s drive south from Porto.
Thankfully, no injuries were reported as a result of the torrent of wine. However, it did reportedly flood at least one cellar. Local authorities are currently engaged in rectifying the damage caused by the deluge and are actively working to prevent any adverse impact on nearby farms, vineyards, and water supplies.
The vast quantity of wine had been stored at the distillery as part of the government’s “crisis distillation” program, which seeks to utilize incentive funds to alleviate an excess of wine within the market pipeline prior to this year’s harvest. The wine was slated for conversion into alcohol.
Despite Portugal boasting the highest per capita wine consumption rate globally, wine producers throughout Europe face challenging times. The European Union reported a precipitous 34% drop in Portugal’s wine consumption this summer, attributing it to factors such as inflation and other economic pressures. Notably, significant wine-producing countries like France and Germany have also witnessed double-digit declines.
Destilaria Levira has launched an inquiry into the root cause of the tank rupture that sent the wine cascading through the town’s streets. The distillery expressed its gratitude to local firefighters, who managed to corral a portion of the spilled wine and transport it to a treatment plant, as detailed in local reports.
