The Orgone Wine: the story of Walter Vioni
Once again I am outside Tuscany, once again in Emilia-Romagna, once again a winery with
something extra.
We are in Castell’Arquato, in the province of Piacenza, an area mainly known for ‘ready to drink’,
drinkable and whole-meal wines.
I came here to meet Walter Vioni, owner of Cantina La Pietra, a particular place, somewhat
strange, eclectic but undoubtedly unique.
From the outside it seems to be on the film set of a science fiction, among steel tubes,
contraptions of the most varied shapes and truly unusual architectural structures.
Upon passing the checks of Zeus, the big dog inspecting the adventurers, we enter the core of the
cellar, the tasting room, made up of wood and stone that warm the heart even before starting the
tasting.
Although this winery has been producing wine for several generations, it is only with Walter that
wine production took off towards new horizons; the story I am about to tell you began in 2016,
when Walter saw his harvest destroyed by a violent hailstorm.
Incredulous to what happened, and feeling himself completely helpless, Walter began to study
alternative solutions, methods to fight for environmental damage, and this is how his adventure in
the world of orgones began, between cloudbusters and orgone accumulators.
What am I talking about?
Let’s take a step back in time, to 1897, the year of Wilhelm Reich’s birth, medical psychoanalyst,
student of Freud, who dedicated his life to the study of psychopathology and the treatment of
serious illnesses such as cancer
What’s wrong with the climate and the wine?
Reich invented the Theory of Orgone, a sort of invisible particle that makes up every element of
the cosmos and which, consequently, is incorporated into every living being, either in the plants,
animal or man.
The level of this particle, of this energy, must remain high to ensure the body’s health; if for some
reason the level drops beyond a certain threshold, the body develops pathologies, ranging from
mild migraines to more serious tumors.
It is precisely in order to recharge the bodies and balance the energy that Wilhelm invented the
orgone accumulator, an organic condenser made up of layers of organic matter and steel (or
galvanized iron), inside which the energy with the consequent acceleration of the body’s healing
process by restoring its biological balance.
Coming into contact with Reich’s studies, Walter first developed a cloudbuster, a device made up
of several tubes capable of manipulating the orgone activity of the atmosphere, bringing balance
between the seasons, and then, by delving ever deeper into the theory, he conceived the orgone
barrel, a tonneau that follows the same “layered” principles of the orgone accumulator, with
organic material and steel.
Not all the wines in production undergo passage into orgone barrels – it would not even be
possible given the limited space in the cellar.
The company’s line is mainly focused on organic, natural and sulphite-free wines. ‘Simple’ and
ready-to-drink wines, almost all characterized by sweetness that definitely doesn’t belong to my
taste and which I therefore struggle to fully appreciate. Very good quality, not like the classic
natural wines which appear pleasant when drunk on site and are undrinkable when you take
them home.
Orgone wine
The undisputed star of the cellar is without any doubt Il Petra Superiore Orgone: a still red wine,
60% Barbera and 40% Croatina, 2015 vintage, (only now on sale), 15% alcohol content, without
added sulphites, unfiltered and unclarified, fermented in a submerged cap with indigenous yeasts
from its own skins.
The bottle hand-embossed bronze label is truly inviting, since it gives an idea of the unrivalled
product peculiarity… you can feel that it is a vintage wine, you can feel that it has undergone long
aging in barrels, you can feel that it has a structured body, a strong persistence and a broad
bouquet, but you also feel a ‘young’ wine, a LIVING wine, edgy but full-bodied at the same time.
It is clear that we face to a wine with an indeterminate aging potential, a wine that could only
benefit by the passage of time, yet is ready, complete, satisfying.
I certainly recommend a visit to La Pietra winery, if nothing else to take a look at a world we are
not used to seeing but which exists and pervades us.
Walter was an excellent guide, patient, thorough and decidedly eclectic.
Regarding Reich’s studies, there is various material available online for further information.
To this day, the main study center is at the Wilhelm Reich Museum in Rangeley, Maine, USA, a
museum that was created by the eldest daughter Eva Reich.
There are no good or bad wines: there are people who are not suited for sharing!
Edited by Ambra Sargentoni