600,000 gallons of red wine flow through Portuguese town after spill, triggering environmental warning

They sure kept the wine flowing.

Locals of a small town in coastal Portugal were left stunned when a river of red wine flowed through their streets on Sunday, after two tanks owned by Levira Distillery – which were carrying a whopping 600,000 gallons of the booze – suddenly gave way.

Video posted online showed the red liquid flowing rushing down a steep hill in the small town of São Lorenco de Bairro, home to some 2,000 residents.

The spill was so massive that the wine that escaped could have filled an Olympic-size swimming pool – triggering an environmental alert.

Officials then sprang into action trying to stop the wine in its path, before it could literally turn the Certima River into wine.

The Anadia Fire Department blocked off the flood, and diverted it away from the river, where it ran instead into a nearby field, local media reported.

Firefighters said a basement in a home near the distillery was flooded in the wine.

Levira Distillery has since apologized for the incident, and said it dredged up the wine-soaked land.

“We assume full responsibility for the costs associated with cleaning and repairing the damage, having teams do so immediately,” it said in a statement.

“We are committed to resolving this situation as quickly as possible.”

It added that the wine-soaked soil at the field has been taken to a special treatment plant.

SOURCE: New York Post