Turning water into wine is not just a biblical phenomenon. Residents of the northern Italian town of Castelvetro had their Lambrusco not just from bottles but also from their showerheads and faucets for a span of about 3 hours Wednesday.
This originated from the Cantina Settecani winery south of Modena which caused Lambrusco Grasparossa, a sparkling red wine, to seep into the Castelvetro town water system.
Images circulated in social media displaying the wine flowing from kitchen and bathroom faucets.
The wine on demand flowed in about 20 homes in the northern Italian town on March 4. The wine was also coming out of showerheads.
This malfunction was resolved in a few hours. The incident sparked a moment of levity for the town amid the coronavirus crisis that has hit northern Italy the hardest.
"I was washing stuff in the kitchen. I turned off the faucet. I turned it on again, and instead of water I saw wine," Maurizio Volpi, 56, said.
The lighthearted news came during an alarming time for residents in northern Italy, where more than 5,000 people have been infected with the novel coronavirus that has 200 fatalities in the country.
The humor hitting the region was acknowledged by Giorgia Mezzacqui, the deputy mayor of Castelvetro.
According to local government officials on their Facebook page, the accident had no health risk to residents.
"At a time where we have very little to smile about, I'm glad we brought some levity to others. Hopefully, someday they'll remember us and will want to come visit us," said Mezzacqui.
The root of the malfunction was a faulty valve in the washing circuit within the bottling line wherein Lambrusco Grasparossa, a local specialty, oozed through the town's water lines due to its pressure.
The region has received an overwhelming number of travel cancellations, which have impacted businesses in the region.
"To survive we need everyone's help. I am therefore very pleased if the name Castelvetro is turning well beyond the borders. Who knows that one day someone will remember us and want to come and visit us." Mezzacqui said.
The winery apologized for the mishap caused by the episode.
Some beneficiaries of the delightful mishap had empty wine bottles to hold under the tap. Meanwhile, Local news agency @modenanewsgaia tweeted a photo of wine flowing from a tap that appears to be going down the drain.
Castelvetro is regularly a destination for food and wine enthusiasts worldwide. However, the area has experienced an 80% drop in tourism due to the coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy.
According to the manager of the wine cellar, it took an hour to fix a broken valve, which caused the red wine to back up into the water main.
The winery posted a video on Facebook, highlighting news coverage of the incident. They wrote with a laughing emoji, "And how do you prefer it, in the bottle or from the tap?"
According to Fabrizio Amorotti, the business supervisor at Cantina Settecani, the incident "was appreciated by many. Some clients in the areas called us to warn us about it, and to share they were bottling the wine!"
Small communities including Castelvetro are the engine driving an extraordinary nation.
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