STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
In Haro, Spain, people celebrate La Batalla del Vino today.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Hey, hey.
INSKEEP: Translated, that's the Battle of Wine, in one of the world's most famous wine regions. This battle is loosely based on a 13th century land dispute between Haro and a neighboring village.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Each year on Saint Peter's Day, locals and tourists get together not only to drink wine, but get soaked in it. Participants show up dressed in white and leave drenched in purple.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Laughter, non-English language spoken).
FADEL: They spray each other with water guns filled with red wine and dump the drink on one another.
INSKEEP: Now, the festivities here really begin the night before.
SHANE BAISDEN: So everyone descends upon the town square, and they have live bands, DJs and such.
INSKEEP: Shane Baisden works for PP Travel, which is an agency that takes groups to several large festivals.
BAISDEN: Most people drink a local drink called a Calimocho.
FADEL: Calimocho is a cocktail made with equal parts Coca Cola and red wine.
INSKEEP: OK.
BAISDEN: And they just party through the night.
FADEL: Baisden has gone six times to the wine battle, where an estimated 70,000 liters of grapes are spilled each year.
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INSKEEP: And remember, please spray wine responsibly.
(SOUNDBITE OF JOHN WILLIAMS' "DANCE FROM LA VIDA BREVE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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