Winery’s bottling malfunction makes red wine flow from faucets in Italian town

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Do you ever wish you had wine on tap so you could pour yourself a glass whenever you felt like it? Residents of Castelvetro, Italy, got the surprise of a lifetime when they turned on their faucets, and instead of water, red wine flowed from the spout.

A malfunction at Cantina Settecani, a local winery, caused 1,000 liters of ready-to-bottle Lambrusco to leak into the water pipes, resulting in a few hours of wine on demand for people in about 20 homes in the northern Italian town on March 4.

Wine was even coming out of showerheads!

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Although it was technically a mistake, the locals took it in stride and saw it as a happy accident. The town has been affected by the recent coronavirus crisis, so the free wine was a much-needed bright spot during a difficult time.

“At a time when we have very little to smile about, I’m glad we brought some levity to others,” Giorgia Mezzacqui, deputy mayor of Castelvetro, told CNN Travel. “Hopefully some day they’ll remember us and will want to come visit us.”

After the incident, the winery took to Facebook to explain what happened:

“Due to a valve failure of the bottling line wash circuit, Lambrusco Grasparosssa was released this morning from some taps of the fraction of Settecani,” the post explained (in translation).

It noted that the incident did pose any hygiene or sanitary risks. “We apologize for the possible inconvenience caused by the episode,” they wrote.

My only misgiving would be if I didn’t have any empty wine bottles to hold under the tap! Thankfully, some beneficiaries of the delightful mishap were able to do just that. Though local news agency @modenanewsgaia tweeted a photo of wine flowing from a tap that appears to be going down the drain. What a waste!

For those who captured some of the wine, it was a welcome moment. “[The malfunciton] was appreciated by many,” Fabrizio Amorotti, commercial manager at Cantina Settecani, told CNN. “Some clients in the areas called to warn us about it, and to share they were bottling the wine!”

There are definitely worse problems to have than water unexpectedly turning into wine!

Curiosity, Food, Humor & Funny, News, Travel
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About the Author
Kate Streit
Kate Streit lives in Chicago. She enjoys stand-up comedy, mystery novels, memoirs, summer and pumpkin spice anything.

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