Abstract

Chacolí is the name of a fascinating family of light wines that was born in Northwest Spain at the turn of the 16th century and whose American branch dates back to the end of the 18th or the beginning of the 19th century. Chacolíes have been historically produced in Northwest Spain (Cantabria, Basqueland, Navarre and Burgos), and Chile and Argentina (Rio Negro). Those from Basqueland are currently sold under three Protected Denomination of Origin: Getariako Txakolina (1989), Bizkaiko Txakolina (1994) and Arabako Txakolina (2001). In this synthetic panorama, we first question the complex notion of “chacolí”, taking into account its etymology. We show that the most probable hypotheses are those that link “chacolí” with the relative acidity of local wines. Then, we consider the main characteristics of the different kinds of chacolí, their evolution and changing perceptions of them. Chacolíes could be white, red or rosé/ojo de gallo [“cock’s eye”] wines. Chacolíes were, everywhere and every time, ones of the weakest wines available. In the 1870s, it was still possible to find white chacolíes with 5° of alcohol in some years. However, they were no exception to secular global trend towards higher alcohol levels in wines. The weakest current chacolíes contain around 9° of alcohol. Chacolíes were also linked with specific sociabilities and involved in various identity processes. In Northwest Spain, a tavern where these local wines were consumed with popular dishes was known as a “Chacolí” or “Txakoli”. During the last decades, Chacolí festivals have been created in the American and Spanish production areas. Finally, Chacolíes are perfect products to think about the social construction of the goodness of wines because of their particular intrinsic qualities.