Gauchos are a traditional social class in Argentina, known for living on the wild mountains at the edge of society. These Argentine cowboys were, and continue to be, known for their horsemanship and cattle herding skills.
The origins of gauchos can be traced back to the early colonial period in South America when the Spanish and Portuguese began establishing settlements in the region. After the first settlement at Buenos Aires, founded in 1536, succumbed to attacks from the local Indians, the remaining settlers fled. In the rush they left many of their cattle and horses to wander and breed in the fertile grasslands surrounding the future capital city.
Buenos Aires would not be resettled for 50 years. In the meantime, word began to spread of an easy life to be had out on the surrounding grasslands (La Pampa), chasing down stray cattle and sleeping out under the stars. The nomads and vagabonds who made their way to La Pampa based on that promise became the forebearers of gaucho culture – living on horseback, consuming only beef and yerba mate, fighting Indians over La Pampa’s bounty.
During this time, the indigenous populations were displaced and forced to work on the large estates known as estancias, which were owned by the colonizers. Many of these indigenous people and European settlers turned to a life of cattle herding and horseback riding to survive.
Over time, the gaucho culture developed its distinct identity, characterized by a strong sense of independence and a deep connection to the land. They were known for their bravery, weapons skills, and fierce loyalty to their friends and family.
The subdivision of La Pampa and the federalist victory in the civil wars saw gaucho culture on the wane in the fertile plains outside Buenos Aires. Still, the gaucho character endures in Argentina’s collective imagination, and out in the most remote provinces, where cars can’t easily pass and raising cattle requires vast tracts of blue-green alfalfa, you may still catch a glimpse of a lonesome rider, wrapped in his poncho to protect from the winds, the silver scabbard of his facón glinting under the powerful sun…
Gauchos sipping yerba mate circa 1890
Where did the Word Gaucho Come From?
No one can quite agree on where the term gaucho originated.
Maybe it was originally a Turkish or Arabic word for low-ranking soldier, adopted and brought to the New World by the Spanish. Or it could have been a Portuguese word for the inhabitants of the Rio de la Plata (a river, the widest in the world, upon the banks of which Buenos Aires was built). Others believe it came from an old Indian word for vagrant.
Either way, the first recorded use of the word didn’t happen until 1816, when gaucho culture was already well established.
The Culture of Gauchos
One important aspect of gaucho culture is their traditional clothing and gear. The gaucho wore an outfit consisting of bombachas, long, wide legged pants that narrow at the ankles; a wool poncho; a wide-brimmed hat, high leather boots; and, instead of the Colt favored by his American counterpart, a razor sharp knife called a facón or cuchillo used variously for butchering animals, eating meals (as the gaucho’s sole dining utensil), and defending oneself in a brawl.
He trusted no one above his favorite horse. “A man without a horse is a man without legs,” went the saying. Or, as one gaucho poem put it:
My horse and my woman
Went off to Salta
May the horse return
For I don’t need my woman.
Gauchos often ride a specific breed of horse called the Criollo. This breed was developed in South America and is known for its endurance, strength, and ability to work with cattle. These hardy little horses have evolved to live in the harsh conditions of the Andean foothills, surviving extreme heat and cold with little food and water.
The ancestors of the Criollos first arrived in 1535 in a shipment of 100 purebred Spanish Andalusians, which had to be released when Buenos Aires was first abandoned. By the time the city was resettled in 1580, the population had grown to around 12,000 horses.
Gauchos also have a unique way of communicating with each other, using a slang known as Lunfardo. The gauchos created this language, and it has influenced modern Argentine Spanish.
Lunfardo actually comes from the Italian word “lombardo”, or someone from the Lombardy region of Italy (in addition to Spanish immigrants, many people came to Argentina from all over Europe, particularly Italy). It spread from Italian immigrants through all of Buenos Aires largely through Tango, which incorporates many Lunfardo words.
“Cumpa”, the name of one of (certified gaucho) winemaker Agustín Lanús’ malbecs, means “friend” in Lunfardo.
Gaucho culture hit its golden era in the latter half of the 1800s, during Argentina’s myriad civil wars. Martín Miguel de Güemes raised a gaucho army to defend northwestern Argentina against the Spanish (before he was betrayed by local landowners and shot in the back). A gaucho warlord, or caudillo, Juan Manuel de Rosas, briefly ruled the short-lived Argentine Confederation as Supreme Head of the Confederacy (until he was brought down by another caudillo).
Today, gaucho culture is celebrated in various festivals and events throughout Argentina, such as the Festival Nacional del Folclore, where traditional gaucho music, dance, and costumes are showcased.
Cumpa Malbec from Agustín Lanús
Gauchos and Wine: A Brief History
During the colonial period, wine production in Argentina was primarily focused on producing sacramental wine for religious purposes. However, as the gauchos began to settle the region and establish estancias, they also began to plant vineyards for personal consumption. The gauchos’ preference for a hearty and robust wine that could stand up to the rugged conditions of the pampas led to the development of a unique style of wine known as “Gaucho wine.”
In the 19th century, with the arrival of European immigrants, mainly from Italy, wine production in Argentina began to expand and professionalize. These immigrants brought their wine-making traditions and techniques, further developing the Argentine wine industry. And the gauchos, with their knowledge of the land, played an important role in expanding vineyards throughout the country. Many of these families still work this land today.
Wine was, and is, an important part of gaucho gatherings and celebrations and plays a central role in their social lives. For example, it is traditional for gauchos to share a bottle of wine with friends and family while sitting around a campfire and sharing stories.
Wine also played a key role in the romantic rituals of gauchos. It was not uncommon for a gaucho to offer a glass of wine to a woman as a symbol of his affection, and it was considered a great honor to be offered a drink by a gaucho.
Wine production and consumption were also a way for gauchos to assert their independence and cultural identity, as they were not controlled by wealthy landowners but by small producers who were mainly themselves gauchos.
Famous Historical Gauchos
Several notable historical gauchos have impacted winemaking in Argentina…
Here are a few examples:
Nicolás Catena: Nicolás Catena is considered one of the most important figures in the modern Argentine wine industry. He began working in his family’s winery in the 1970s. Since then, he has been instrumental in elevating the quality of Argentine wines and promoting the country as a world-class wine producer.
Roberto Luka: Roberto Luka was a gaucho who owned a small vineyard in the region of Mendoza. He is credited with being the first gaucho to produce wine in Argentina in the late 18th century. He was considered a pioneer of the Argentine wine industry, and his wines were highly sought after by wealthy landowners and the church.
Andrés Moreira: Andrés Moreira is considered by some to be the father of Argentine winemaking; he introduced the first grapevines in Argentina in the early 16th century, in what is now known as the Mendoza region. He also built the first winery in the region, and his wines were known for their quality and were highly appreciated by the colonizers.
A gaucho from 1868
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento: His History with Gauchos and Wine In Argentina
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento was not a gaucho by birth or profession; he was an Argentine statesman, educator, writer, and president of Argentina from 1868 to 1874. He was born in a small town in the province of San Juan, and he was raised in a middle-class family, his father a small-time rancher.
However, Sarmiento deeply understood gaucho culture and society, and he advocated for Argentina’s modernization and the integration of gauchos into mainstream society. He believed that education was the key to this integration, and he worked to establish a system of public schools throughout the country.
Sarmiento was also interested in developing the wine industry in Argentina. He is credited with introducing many European grape varieties, such as malbec, to Argentina and promoting the development of the wine industry. He believed that the wine industry could help improve the economy and living standards of the gauchos, and he was instrumental in expanding the vineyards throughout the country.
Though Domingo Sarmiento was not a gaucho, he had a deep understanding of gaucho culture and society, and was an advocate for the modernization of Argentina and the integration of gauchos into mainstream society, as well as having a big impact on the development of wine industry in Argentina.
Gauchos: An Integral Part of Argentine Culture
Gauchos are an important part of Argentina’s history and have played a central role in the wine industry’s development, but the role of individual gauchos in the industry is not well-documented. The gauchos were often small producers, and their contribution to larger winemaking operations was mainly in the form of labor and knowledge of the land. Winemakers were often more recent immigrants from places like Italy and Spain, who brought recent knowledge of winemaking with them.
As the gauchos began to settle the region, they also began to establish their own estancias, which were typically smaller than those owned by wealthy landowners. These estancias were often run by a single gaucho or a small group of gauchos responsible for managing the cattle and the land.
Though living on the outskirts of settled land, the gauchos’ way of life and the estancias they settled have become integral to Argentine culture. The estancias are a means of survival and a symbol of the gauchos’ independence and connection to the land.
References:
- “Gaucho” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2023.
- “The gaucho: a cultural history” by Eduardo Sguiglia
- “Gauchos and the Pampas” by National Geographic
- “The gaucho Martin Fierro” by José Hernández, a famous gaucho poet.
- “Gaucho” Oxford Reference. Oxford University Press, n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2023.
- “The gaucho: a cultural history” by Eduardo Sguiglia.
- “The Gaucho Martin Fierro” a poem by José Hernández, a famous gaucho poet.
- “The Criollo Horse of South America” by the Criollo Horse Society, Inc.
- “Lunfardo: The Argentine Slang that Shaped Tango Music” by Natalia Lusinski
- “Argentinian Wine: A Brief History” by Argentina Wine
- “Argentinian Malbec: A History” by Decanter
- “Argentina’s wine revolution” by The World
