Riccitelli Wines

What to Eat in Argentina: 7 Must-Try Local Dishes

"Located inside the eponymous winery in Las Compuertas at the heart of Luján de Cuyo’s wine district in Mendoza, this bistro focuses on produce from its own gardens and nearby fields to prove that a truly Argentine dish need not center on meat. The seasonal dish Roots showcases only root vegetables—various carrots, beets, and radishes—as a reflection of the garden’s cultivated diversity in colors, sizes, and fragrances. These roots are treated with multiple techniques: boiled, roasted, left raw, pickled, and subjected to lactic fermentation, with each method revealing a different nuance from sweet to acidic. Textures range from soft and delicate to crunchy and even explosive, as chef Juan Ventureyra explains, creating a complex, plant-focused plate that still feels distinctly Argentine." - The MICHELIN Guide

MICHELIN Green Star Community in Argentina: Inspiring Actions Across the Country

"In a region where meat usually rules, this bodega restaurant takes a different path: roughly 80% of the menu is vegetable-based. Chef Juan Ventureyra has spent a decade cultivating three gardens (at Riccitelli, and larger plots in Maipú and Pedriel) and amassing seeds from more than 380 species, yielding dozens of tomato varieties, over ten types of aubergine, multicolored chiles, pumpkins and squash, greens, herbs, string beans, watermelon, Jerusalem artichoke, salicornia, peaches, and more. Wild plants are equally important: after hiring two biologists to survey the estate for a year, he now cooks with 16 edible native species and chooses not just which ingredient, but which part—fruit, flower, leaf, stem, seed, or root—to best express it." - The MICHELIN Guide

"At the Riccitelli Bistró, they have gone one step further to bring together fine cuisine, an appreciation of wine, and sustainability. The Matias Riccitelli Wines bodega in Luján de Cuyo has created this restaurant, built out of remodelled containers and “planted” amid old vineyards, to enhance its wine experience. Chef Juan Ventureyra’s cuisine, which can be sampled in an informal dining room or on the lower terrace, explores Mendoza’s culinary roots on two menus (Mendoza and Argentina, both of which include a visit to the winery) with a strong focus on native, locally sourced produce and ingredients mainly from its own gardens. Vegetables play a starring role here, hence the vegetarian influence in its “farm to table” concept (in summer, it grows over 90 varieties of tomato from seed), enhanced by adding protein to its dishes. We particularly enjoyed the snacks here as well as the dish entitled “Espinal” (duck, cauliflower, apricot and mustard)." - Michelin Inspector

How Mendoza, Argentina Became a Rising Wellness Hotspot | Vogue

"A funky track by the Argentine rock band Spaghetti Western was playing as I swirled a glass of the crisp Kung Fu pét-nat—its strawberry and peach notes and citrusy kick setting the tone for an eight-course tasting masterminded by chef Juan Ventureyra at this winery and restaurant by winemaker Matías Riccitelli. Set on the outskirts of Mendoza in Luján de Cuyo, it’s gaining notoriety as the region’s leading natural winery, an otherworldly place where natural cultivation takes precedence in the wine and the food; I was surrounded by fields of organic tomatoes, artichokes, greens, and herbs that showed up beautifully in the dishes. By the sixth course—a skirt steak paired with a fruity malbec—my buzz was blissful and silvery shadows shifted over the towering snowcapped Andes; it was the freshest, most delicious tasting menu I had during my two-week galivant through Argentina." - Michaela Trimble

Mendoza, Argentina: a journey exploring its best cuisine and wines

"In the MICHELIN Green Star bistró’s garden, Juan Ventureyra sources the vegetables that animate his recipes, an ideal setting to savor a Viñas Extremas Sauvignon Blanc with mineral aromas from vines growing at 1,700 meters above sea level." - The MICHELIN Guide