Vigil House It is the restaurant of the famous winemaker Alejandro Vigilwhom many call “The Messi of wine”, because he was the first to achieve 100 Robert Parker points for his two Argentine wines: Gran Enemigo single Vineyard Gualtallary 2013 and Adriana Vineyard River Stone 2016. It is in the area of Chachingo, Cruz de Piedra, Maipú, province of Mendoza, where in addition to the Aleanna winery – here they make El Enemigo and Gran Enemigo – the Casa Vigil restaurant operates. Between the winery and the restaurant, other ventures such as the Tomato Festival are added within the Till Project and the Estancia Vigil in Buenos Aires. It is a universe driven by Maria Sance —bromatologist and doctor in biology—, life partner of Alejandro Vigil. Already located in time and space, we spoke with the restaurant’s chef, who recently won two Michelin stars. One red for gastronomic excellence and the other green for the sustainability of the products.
News: Let’s jump in time and go to his family of origin, his life in Los Polvorines, province of Buenos Aires, and his anecdotes with his grandfather. Did they teach you how to take your first steps in the kitchen?
Ivan Azar: I lived with my parents until I was 13 when they divorced. I stayed with my mother and grandmother, although seeing my father. My mother studied cooking with Swiss nuns and both of my grandmothers were excellent cooks. I was always in the middle of the kitchen, and when my father – another great cook – left, I started making the Wednesday and Sunday roasts. My grandfather was a bon vivant, linked to wine and gastronomy.
News: Did you then study formally or did you follow the self-taught route?
Random: I am not self-taught. I started working and also decided to study to expand knowledge. But I didn’t like it and I couldn’t afford to pay for courses either… so I learned in restaurants. He asked everything, it was annoying, he really wanted to know. And when I thought I had gotten the juice, I went somewhere else.
News: How did you end up in the kitchen of the Japanese Garden of Buenos Aires?
Random: I started at the Garden in 2008. I went straight to what was productive, an Asian restaurant with a lot of seafood and fish. I cleaned bunches of prawns, crushed and ground a lot of sesame in the suribachi (Japanese mortar), cut buckets of vegetables…
News: After a couple of years at the Jardín, he started working with Hernán Giponni at the boutique hotel and took over Fierro. What were you doing in your restaurant?
Random: They contacted me with Hernán and I started with another gastronomy, Basque, with rice and other techniques. It was like starting from scratch. I learned a lot from Hernán. Everything he does is rich, round, perfect…
News: Then he landed at the Algodón chateux, where he met his wife, Silvana Gallo (37) …
Random: When I left Fierro I spent some time in the south, I didn’t know if I really wanted to do gastronomy. I came back and entered Algodón. We stayed here for almost three years. Silvana was the chef of the restaurant and she is an all-rounder.
News: And they both arrived in Mendoza. How was it?
Random: I went to live with her in her apartment in Buenos Aires and the contract was expiring. The maelstrom of Capital Federal had exhausted me. I wanted to return to Bariloche, which I had loved. And she, returning to Mendoza because she is from Mendoza. We took a few days and traveled to Mendoza. I liked it and we decided to settle. We’ve been there for 10 years now. León (7), our son, was born here. At the moment, it is unique. We work a lot… I don’t know if another one will come.
News: Already in Mendoza, her son is born, the pandemic passes. Was it when you sent your resume to Casa Vigil?
Random: We started working at Cavas Wine Lodge, which is now called Awasi, an emblematic hotel in Mendoza. Our son had been born and we could spend a few hours with him. We had savings and we started a gourmet food store. I think we were caught by Macri’s hyperinflation where the onion bag went from 75 to 800 pesos, something unsustainable. We closed and, although I didn’t know Alejandro Vigil—only by his name—I found out that he was going to open something in Chachingo and I sent a resume. They gave me an interview that was a cooking test, in November 2019 and I started working permanently. Then my wife came in.
News: How does Casa Vigil work?
Random: We start in the mornings only with tastings, at different prices depending on the wines. Within them there are blending games where everyone can create their own wine blend and fun competitions. At noon we have lunch and in the afternoon a small proposal for Mendoza residents, called Atardeceres, with a 5-course menu accessible for the price. And starting at 8 p.m., we start the night shift, which is two options of 5 or 14 steps. I practically live in this restaurant. I enjoy it a lot.
News: He is currently a master chef. How many people do you have in the kitchen?
Random: In the kitchen there are 32 of us. We have 9 in the kitchen team and in service, between temporary and permanent, there are about 40. There are many of us. In high season, we serve between 220 and 240 covers at noon; At night we try not to exceed 100 covers to take care of the menu of steps.
News: Does the creative process to make a new dish begin with inspiration, with the exchange of ideas with a team, with going to the market, with the product in the garden?
Random: This is a winery restaurant, so here we start with wine, something very important. In other restaurants it is the other way around. Here we work first with the wines from the El Enemigo winery and we prepare the dishes to pair with those wines. At first I thought he was locked up. But then it was very positive, a learning experience alongside Alejandro, who has eaten in the best restaurants in the world and has a unique palate and sense of smell. He connects flavors and aromas very well, he knows a lot and sitting with him and talking is very inspiring. Although I always have freedom. A garden was also set up that is not self-sufficient, but there we put what we are going to use, from eggplants, pecan nuts, leeks. In addition, we work with producers. And once we have the product, we chat with the kitchen guys, I generate the base concept and design the circle where the kids can move. I give them the freedom to experiment and sometimes they come up with dishes that go directly to the menu. Or I bring mine. That moment is very nice. They know what I want and we all know what the winery wants. We hope to validate the Michelin stars in June or July.
News: I read that terroir cuisine is what sets Casa Vigil apart. Explain what it means and give an example of a dish that expresses it.
Random: This originates through wine. The terroir determines a wine. And the terroir does the same with the dish. We use 100% Mendoza products. In tastings we show the difference between tomatoes from Maipú, San Rafael and Lavalle; The flavor is different depending on the terroir where they were grown. I try not to modify the product so much. What I modify is what is around it. Alejandro says that the most difficult thing is to intervene as little as possible, so that the wine speaks for itself. We want the same thing with dishes.
News: Is Mendoza still your place in the world or are you planning to try life abroad?
Random: My career has been simple, here in my country, surrounded by people better than me. Today I have no idea about moving. I love Argentina, having friends and family come home, to eat, to drink wine…
