The chief winemaker at El Enemigo tells db about social sustainability, his never-ending work exploring Mendoza and why he is "not a winemaker".
The ‘enfant terrible’ of his family, Alejandro Vigil left school to join a wine co-op, but continued his studies to placate his mother, later graduating top of his class in Agricultural Engineering. He headed the soils division at INTA (National Agricultural Technology Institute), before joining Catena Zapata in 2002 as chief winemaker. In 2009, he and Adrianna Catena set up El Enemigo.
What did you imagine yourself doing when you were seven years old?
I always imagined myself working in the fields. I had no other vision of what I wanted to do and always saw myself working in agriculture. Of course, there were vineyards near my home, so I was very close to winemaking, but it was the land that attracted me. The feeling of creating something from nothing, the sensation of soil in my hands, the cold or the heat – that has always been something I deeply enjoyed.
Who first led you down the winemaking career path, and how?
There wasn’t one specific person who guided me to this career. However, I did feel a sense of calling from my mother and grandparents, who helped shape a path, a way of life that leaned in this direction. Actually, I’m not a winemaker; I’m an agricultural engineer, and my vision has always been rooted in how beautiful it is to create food from a seed or a cutting.
What’s the most recent lesson this job has taught you?
Work has always taught me one thing: the place is far more important than the people. Humility is a constant lesson – nature teaches you this through the combination of factors that make a place exist. One realises how small we are, that we can’t change much. We can only guide a process, but learning to understand the interaction between climate, soil, and accepting it – that’s the most valuable daily lesson for me.
If you were a wine, what would your back label say?
It would say that, inside, there’s a little piece of my soul, a bit of Mendoza, and a large part of my life.
What’s the last book you read?
The last book I read was The Boy That Lost the War by Julia Navarro.
What’s the last live music performance you saw?
It was in Los Angeles, two months ago: The Rolling Stones.
What frustrates you most about the wine world?
It’s frustrating not being able to change certain paths. Often, believing in something wrong leads to a wrong result, creating a path built on imagination rather than reality. This happens often in wine.
Which sustainability initiative are you most proud of, and why?
What makes me happiest is understanding the concept of social sustainability. If everything around doesn’t work, nothing else can function. That’s why our work directly with the community, especially focused on schools – not just through food programmes, but also recreation, education and healthcare – feels like the future to me. A society that supports itself will naturally lead to environmental sustainability.
If you could change one thing about your wine region, what would it be?
No, no, no! I would never change anything about my wine region. On the contrary, I wish I could understand it better. I think one spends a lifetime trying to interpret these landscapes through wine, and there will always be something missing, and that’s beautiful. It feels like a utopia. Galeano once said: “Why chase utopia? Because it makes you walk.” If you’re 10 steps away and you take two, the utopia moves two steps further. I think it’s the same here.
Which winemaker do you most admire, and why?
I admire many winemakers for different reasons. I have great respect for people like the team at Comando G for revitalising a region that was fading away. Then there’s Frédéric Mugnier, for maintaining a centuries-old family tradition. And there are so many more. Raúl de la Mota was a pioneer of our winemaking culture in Mendoza, followed by other great winemakers. Nicolás Catena was the person who taught me the importance of patience in winemaking and, for me, that’s fundamental. There’s no other way to understand life.
What missing skill do you most wish you possessed?
More patience, without a doubt. I believe patience is a skill – to stay committed to an idea and adjust as you learn. It’s about having coherence in life.
What’s your idea of a perfect holiday?
In a wine region, with my entire family, without question. In fact, that’s how my vacations already are – visiting wineries, enjoying great food.
What’s the most pressing personal or professional ambition you’d like to fulfil?
I’d like to better understand the different zones for Malbec and determine the right style to showcase each landscape.
What would your final meal be? And what would you drink with it?
My last meal would be lentil stew, a common dish in Argentina made with various meats and vegetables. I’d love to pair it with a 1997 Saint Felicien, a local Cabernet-Merlot, which is deeply connected to my wife and my concept of wine.
