River of red wine flows through Portuguese town after distillery accident
Two tanks containing red wine accidentally spilled 2.2 million litres of red wine down a street in a small town in Portugal. Photo: X (Twitter)
Have you ever imagined a river of wine flowing through a small town? Wine enthusiasts were left astonished when news broke that 600,000 gallons of red wine had spilled through the Portuguese town of São Lourenco do Bairro after two tanks owned by Levira Distillery burst on Sunday, September 10.
What happened
- Residents of São Lourenco do Bairro, a coastal town in Portugal, were rendered speechless as they witnessed a river of red wine coursing through their streets on that fateful Sunday.
- This unusual incident occurred when two tanks belonging to Levira Distillery, carrying a staggering 600,000 gallons of red wine, suddenly ruptured.
- A viral video captured the crimson liquid cascading down a steep hill in the quaint town, which is home to approximately 2,000 residents.
Two large wine containers broke yesterday in the town of Levira, Portugal, which lead to the streets being flooded with wine. pic.twitter.com/hw6avobgje
— Brain Quest (@AweInspireMe) September 11, 2023
- Levira Distillery promptly issued an apology for the spill from its two tanks.
- In a statement, the distillery expressed, "We fully accept responsibility for the costs associated with the cleanup and repairs, and our teams are working diligently to rectify the situation as swiftly as possible."
- The sheer magnitude of the spill, equivalent to the volume of an Olympic-sized swimming pool, prompted local authorities to issue an environmental alert.
- To prevent contamination of the Certima River, officials had to take decisive action and divert the flow of wine.
Resolution by officials
Local media reported that the Anadia Fire Department took immediate action by blocking the wine flood and diverting it into a nearby field, instead of allowing it to spill into the Certima River.
Levira Distillery also confirmed that they excavated the wine-soaked soil from the affected field and transported it to a specialized treatment plant, as reported by the New York Post.