Last week, in the Portuguese town of Levira, this happened…
That’s 2.2 million litres of wine (almost enough to fill an Olympic size swimming pool) running through the streets after a storage tank collapsed because of a “structural failure” and the force of that torrent of wine knocked over a second vat.
What a mess!
I wonder if the person responsible for that still works there?
As we spare a thought for that poor person, let’s have a look at some other examples of major wine-related stuff ups for our own amusement…!!
1. The Titanic’s Ill-Fated Cargo
Imagine the grandeur of the Titanic’s maiden voyage in 1912. Among its cargo was a significant collection of fine wines bound for the United States. Tragically, the ship met its fate at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, taking with it a treasure trove of rare and valuable wines that continue to capture the imagination of collectors to this day.
2. The Thomas Jefferson Bottle
In the late 1980s, Manhattan wine merchant William Sokolin made headlines when he dropped a bottle of 1787 Chateau Margaux during an exclusive Bordeaux dinner. The bottle was valued at over US$500,000 and rumoured to have belonged to President Thomas Jefferson. This accident resulted in what ‘People’ magazine called ‘the world’s most expensive puddle’!
3. The Million-Dollar Forklift Mishap
In 2011, a warehouse operator faced a nightmare scenario when a forklift mishap led to the destruction of more than AU$1.07 million worth of premium wine. Over 460 cases of 2010 Mollydooker Velvet Glove Shiraz were shattered while being prepared for export to the US. It represented a third of the winery’s annual production! Fortunately, insurance covered the substantial loss.
4. The Costly Arson Cover-Up
Not all wine disasters are accidental. In 2005, an act of arson led to a massive warehouse fire in California. The fire resulted in the loss of six million bottles of wine worth approximately US$100 million. The arsonist was arrested two years later, with suspicions that the fire was set to conceal embezzlement.
5. When Taps Run with Wine in Italy
In a humorous twist of fate in March 2020, residents in Castelvetro, Italy, turned on their kitchen taps only to find wine flowing instead of water. A faulty valve at a nearby winery caused around 1,000 litres of Lambrusco to leak into the water supply. In the midst of COVID’s onset in the region residents saw the funny side of the incident, with the town’s deputy mayor tweeting “wine is always the answer”.
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6. Sonoma’s Red River
In January 2020, Sonoma’s Russian River experienced an unusual transformation when a massive spill of Cabernet Sauvignon occurred at Rodney Strong Vineyards. Over 97,000 gallons (over 350,000 litres) of wine turned the river a striking shade of red.
7. The Spanish street running red with… wine
The internet looked on in horror last month when a clip emerged showing a river of wine bursting forth from a blown-out tank in Spain. The quick-thinking camera person managed to capture the tidal wave of wine from Villamalea’s Bodegas Vitivinos as it poured through nearby streets, engulfing the property’s equipment. Some 60,000 bottles’ worth of wine was spilled, but fortunately for the 50-year-old winery and its annual production of around five million bottles this didn’t represent too great a loss.
8. Hawksmoor’s Pricey Mix-Up
Not all wine mistakes lead to disaster. In Manchester’s Hawksmoor restaurant, diners were pleasantly surprised when they were mistakenly served a £4,500 bottle of 2001 Chateau Le Pin instead of the £260 bottle they had ordered. The restaurant’s manager displayed remarkable grace, reminding us that sometimes, even in the world of wine, errors can lead to delightful surprises.
The worst I’ve ever done is “accidentally” (or was it on purpose… I’ll let you be the judge!) open a bottle of 2015 Museum Chardonnay instead of a plain old current vintage. Of course I needed to help finish it off. It’s the least I could do!
Share your wine disasters in the comments… I promise this is a safe place and we won’t make fun of you (…much)!