LA RIOJA – Tucked away in the north, La Rioja is a little region that packs a big punch. Synonymous with wine, you may be tempted to bring out your copas (wine glasses) to savour the world’s finest reds. But there, wine is not just a drink, it is a culture.

The Battle of Wine – Where else in the world can you have a wine battle? Every year in June, faithful riojanos, clad in white with water guns, buckets and wineskins brimming with cheap red wine, make their way out to Haro to participate in a giant wine war. The party kicks off at sunrise and goes on till about lunchtime. Hiking out to the mountains, singing and dancing with marching bands, everyone drinks and makes merry in honour of a local saint. After mass, the battle begins. It’s every man to himself.