Iranian immigrant builds successful Oregon winery ranked No. 23 worldwide
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An American winemaking family believes exceptional wines require no shortcuts.
After decades of quiet perseverance in business, Maysara Winery, nestled in the rolling hills of Oregon wine country, has recently received global recognition. It is currently the 23rd vineyard worldwide.
“We learned that we were chosen [to be among] It is among the top 50 vineyards in the world,” founder Moe Momtazi told Fox News Digital in an interview.
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“You can have beautiful American-made, fine wines from a real family, a real farm, and a real story,” said middle daughter Naseem Momtazi, head of sales.
Winery formed partnership Fox News Wine Shop in 2017 pinot noir.
Moe Momtazi started out as a chemical engineer, but his long-time passion was farming. Today he and his family run a winery in Oregon. (Direct Wines Inc.)
Yet when Moe Momtazi talks about her life, she begins not in Oregon but in the turmoil of post-revolutionary Iran. His story of escape, new life in America, and ultimately his winemaking philosophy based on heritage and health became the foundation of Maysara Winery.
Although he came to the United States in 1971 to study engineering, his life took a dramatic change after he returned to Iran in the late 1970s. In the midst of the 1979 revolution, “things got pretty ugly,” he said.
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Recalling her “arduous journey” to the United States via Pakistan, Spain, Italy and Mexico, Momtazi continued: “So in 1982, my wife and I – she was eight months pregnant – fled Iran.”
The new parents finally arrived in 1983, settling first in Texas, where Momtazi applied for political asylum and returned to civil engineering. But farming was his long-term dream.
Middle daughter Naseem recalled her father’s interest in farming.
Momtazi moved to Oregon with his wife and headquarters and started a winery where his three daughters also work. They’re all pictured here. (Photography by Karissa Williams)
“I remember when he was a kid, when they came to the United States, they didn’t have a lot of things, so he bought small packages whenever he could,” he told Fox News Digital. “He would buy land with whatever he could save.”
In 1990, Momtazi left engineering and moved his family to Oregon. Seven years later, the family purchased an abandoned wheat farm that would become the home of their winery.
“It was my duty to farm holistically.”
Today, the property stands at an “incredible height” of about 563 acres, said his daughter Naseem.
Momtazi’s wife and three daughters also work at the winery.
‘We need to produce better’
Momtazi had dreamed of a farm from the very beginning. biodynamic agriculture.
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“It was my mission to farm holistically and not use any outside ingredients,” he said.
Based on Rudolf Steiner’s early 20th-century teachings, the method emphasizes natural cycles and the vitality of the soil.
The Momtazi family winery has an “incredible elevation” of approximately 563 acres in Oregon, the family said. (Direct Wines Inc.)
One such unconventional method involves filling cow horns with manure and burying them in the ground.
Naseem Momtazi summarized it as “the most natural and holistic way to produce wine.”
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“As humans, we need to produce and consume better,” he added, connecting the winery’s methods to broader concerns about modern food production.
Moe Momtazi is even more uncompromising about how wine should be made.
Momtazi founded Maysara Winery in 1997. The whole family helps in this effort. (Direct Wines Inc.)
“We do not manipulate our wine at all…we do not use commercial yeast or enzymes, we do not adjust acidity or add sugar,” he said.
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Reflecting on the differences between Maysara wines and heavily processed wines, Naseem said some customers tell them “their wines are medicine.”
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“If you drink too much, you’ll get drunk,” he added. “But I can truly say that if you consume moderate amounts of our wine, you won’t get the same effects. … Most wine is manipulated.”
Momtazi’s Maysara Winery has partnered with Fox News Wine Shop for its 2017 pinot noir. (Direct Wines Inc.)
American made wine
The family said the defining characteristic of Maysara wines is that they age much longer than most American wines.
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“We truly believe in leaving wines behind and setting them free. [them] when it is ready,” Naseem Momtazi said, noting that Maysara wines are not released chronologically.
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“This is not a natural concept for American wine,” he said.
Learn more about Fox News Wine Shop Here.
