West

Iranian refugee builds world-ranked American winery rooted in heritage and health

Published

3 months ago

December 11, 2025

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Iranian refugee builds world-ranked American winery rooted in heritage and health

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One American winemaking family believes exceptional wine doesn’t require shortcuts.

After decades of quiet persistence in their trade, global recognition recently arrived for Maysara Winery, located in the rolling hills of Oregon wine country. It currently ranks as the No. 23 vineyard worldwide.

“We were informed we were chosen [to be among] the top 50 vineyards in the world,” founder Moe Momtazi told Fox News Digital in an interview.

NASHVILLE’S HIDDEN ‘WINE COUNTRY’ PROVIDES TASTE OF TENNESSEE IN WHISKEY BARRELS

His middle daughter, Naseem Momtazi, president of sales, said, “You can have beautiful American-made, quality-made wines coming from an actual family, an actual farm and an actual story.”

The winery has partnered with the Fox News Wine Shop on a 2017 pinot noir.

Moe Momtazi started out as a chemical engineer, but his longtime passion was farming. Today, he and his family run a winery in Oregon. (Direct Wines Inc.)

Even so, when Moe Momtazi talks about his life, he starts not in Oregon — but in the turmoil of post-revolution Iran. His story of escape, new life in America and, ultimately, a winemaking philosophy rooted in heritage and health, became the foundation for Maysara Winery.

Though he came to the U.S. in 1971 to study engineering, his life took a dramatic spin after he returned to Iran in the late 1970s. “Things got pretty ugly” amid the 1979 revolution, he said.

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“So, in 1982, myself, with my wife — she was eight months pregnant — we escaped from Iran,” Momtazi continued, recalling his “difficult journey” to the U.S. by way of Pakistan, Spain, Italy and Mexico.

The new parents finally arrived in 1983 and initially settled 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, center, and established a winery — where all three daughters work. They’re all pictured here. (Karissa Williams Photography)

“I remember as a kid, he would just buy small parcels when he could, because they didn’t have much when they came to the United States,” she told Fox News Digital. “With whatever he could save, he would buy land.”

In 1990, Momtazi left engineering and moved his family to Oregon. Seven years later, the family purchased an abandoned wheat farm that would become their winery’s home.

“It was my mission to farm holistically.”

Today, the property spans roughly 563 acres of “amazing elevation,” daughter Naseem said.

Momtazi’s wife and all three daughters work at the winery.

‘Need to produce better’

From the beginning, Momtazi envisioned a farm built on biodynamic agriculture.

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“It was my mission to farm holistically and just not to use any kind of material from outside,” he said.

The method, grounded in the early 20th-century teachings of Rudolf Steiner, emphasizes natural cycles and soil vitality.

The Momtazi family’s winery spans roughly 563 acres of “amazing elevation” 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 summed it up as “the most natural, holistic way to produce wine.”

‘MY WHOLE LIFE WAS A LIE’: FORMER VEGAN CHEF SINKS HER TEETH INTO CATTLE RANCHING

She added, “We do need to produce and consume better as people,” tying 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 entire family helps in the effort. (Direct Wines Inc.)

“We absolutely do not manipulate our wine… no use of commercial yeast or enzymes or adjusting acidity or adding sugar,” he said.

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Some customers have told them that their “wine is medicine,” Naseem said, reflecting the differences between Maysara wines and heavily processed wines.

“If you drink too much, you’re going to get drunk,” she added. “But if you consume a moderate amount of our wine, I truly do say that you’re not going to get the same effects.… So much wine is manipulated.”

Momtazi’s Maysara Winery has partnered with the Fox News Wine Shop on a 2017 pinot noir. (Direct Wines Inc.)

American-made wine

A defining trait of Maysara wines is that they’re aged far longer than most American wines, the family said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

“We truly believe in holding back the wines and releasing [them] when ready,” Naseem Momtazi said — noting that Maysara wines aren’t released chronologically.

“That is not a natural concept for American wine,” she said.

Learn more about the Fox News Wine Shop here.

Peter Burke is a lifestyle editor with Fox News Digital. He covers various lifestyle topics, with an emphasis on food and drink.

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Montana

Your guide to local sports events, plus what’s on TV

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1 hour ago

March 2, 2026

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Your guide to local sports events, plus what’s on TV

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Nevada

How the strikes on Iran could impact gas prices in northern Nevada

Published

2 hours ago

March 2, 2026

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How the strikes on Iran could impact gas prices in northern Nevada

The United States and Israel launched targeted attacks on Iran on Saturday. The move brought new uncertainty into global energy markets, as northern Nevadans could be paying more at the pump in the coming weeks.

Following the strikes, oil prices increased. Brent crude, the international benchmark, jumped to roughly $73 a barrel, while the national benchmark, West Texas Intermediate, traded above $67.

Much of the concern centers around the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman. which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supplies.

Patrick de Haan, head of petroleum analysis with GasBuddy, a price tracking company, spoke on the current questions in the region.

“The known would reduce oil prices if there becomes clarity, but it’s the unknown that is stoking fears…. If there is some sort of clarity in the days ahead, whether from Iran, the United States, or Israel, on how long this would last. We’d be able to put potentially an end date for the potential impacts that we’re seeing,” said de Haan.

Experts say for every $5 to $10 increase in oil prices, drivers could pay 15 to 25 cents more per gallon.

According to Triple-A, the average price of a gallon of gas in Nevada on Sunday comes in at $3.70, which comes in above the national average of roughly $2.98.

Over at the Rainbow Market on Vassar Street, prices sat just below four dollars a gallon on Sunday. Reno resident Abran Reyes talked about gas prices potentially going up.

“Whether it’s to work, to maybe run errands, to do stuff that helps you, gas is essential…. That gas price really hits, especially in today’s economy, where gas prices are extraordinary…. I just hope everyone’s safe. I hope our soldiers and all of our troops can be okay,” said Reyes.

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New Mexico

3 thoughts: New Mexico 81, SDSU 76 … Kudos for the local kid, mid-majors getting the squeeze and European bigs

Published

2 hours ago

March 2, 2026

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3 thoughts: New Mexico 81, SDSU 76 … Kudos for the local kid, mid-majors getting the squeeze and European bigs

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Three thoughts on San Diego State’s 81-76 loss at New Mexico on Saturday afternoon:

1. Kudos

No loss is a happy occasion within SDSU’s basketball program, but it was mitigated somewhat by the how and who:

The how: A 3-pointer from the left wing with 43 seconds left that broke a 74-74 tie.

The who: Luke Haupt, a sixth-year senior from St. Augustine High School and Point Loma Nazarene University who is one of those classy, genuine guys you can’t help but root for.

Aztecs coaches know him and his family well, his father Mike being the longtime head coach at Saints who sent Trey Kell to them. Aztecs players know him from the Swish summer league and open gyms during the summer.

Coach Brian Dutcher: “Kudos to Luke, known him a long time. Coaches are a little different than fan bases, where sometimes (fans) get too hard on the opposition. I wanted to win in the worst way, trust me when I tell you that. But … tip your hat to guys who make important and timely plays.”

Junior guard Miles Byrd: “Credit to Luke Haupt. He’s a San Diego kid. He’s going to (get) up for these type of games. You respect that. Players show up in games like this, and he showed up.”

There’s respect for the moment and respect for what it took to get there.

Haupt grew up, like most kids in San Diego, watching the Aztecs and dreaming of maybe one day playing in Viejas Arena. He went to Division II PLNU instead and toiled in relative anonymity for five seasons, one of which was abbreviated by the pandemic and 1½ of which was wiped out by knee surgery.

The 6-foot-7 wing finally got to Division I for his sixth and final year, lured to New Mexico by former UC San Diego coach Eric Olen, and has averaged 7.2 points per game with a career high of 30 against Boise State. He had 17 on Saturday against his hometown team, the final three coming with 43 seconds left in a tie game.

The play wasn’t designed for him. Fate sent the ball his way.

“It was a big shot, but it was everything I’ve worked on my entire career and basketball life,” Haupt said. “It’s all the people who have helped me get here and all the work that’s been put in.

“These are moments you dream about.”

2. Death of Cinderella

The Aztecs have slipped off the NCAA Tournament bubble with losses in three of their last four games, yet their metrics are comparable and in some cases better than a year ago, when they didn’t win the conference tournament and sneaked into the First Four in Dayton.

They are hanging tough at 42 in Kenpom and 44 in NET. Last year they were 46 and 52 on Selection Sunday.

The problem is that there might be historically few at-large berths available to mid-major conferences as the preposterous sums of money coursing through the sport accentuates the divide between the haves and have-nots. The latest field from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has 11 teams from the SEC, nine from the Big Ten and eight each from the Big 12 and ACC.

The Big East, considered a power conference given its financial commitment to men’s basketball (although that is starting to wane), is expected to get only three, but do the math: Power conferences account for 34 of the 37 at-large invitations to the 68-team field.

Lunardi, and several other bracketologists, has only three mid-majors getting at-large berths: Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara from the WCC, and New Mexico from the Mountain West.

Only Saint Mary’s is in the main bracket. Santa Clara and New Mexico are in his First Four (and the Lobos are his last team in).

“It’s harder,” Dutcher said, “because there are only so many at-large bids that are going to go to non-power conference teams. When thrown up against the power conferences, the Selection Committee is finding ways to put the power conference teams in.”

Since the tournament expanded from 65 to 68 in 2011, mid-majors have averaged a combined 6.3 at-large berths. The high was 10 in 2013, but it’s been seven as recently as 2024. Last year it slipped to four, equaling the record low, and no mid-major teams reached the Sweet 16.

If teams like Utah State, Saint Louis and Miami (Ohio) win their conference tournaments, knocking out “bid stealers,” it could be three, maybe even two.

Money is talking. It doesn’t guarantee success, but it certainly increases the chances.

3. Euros

The Aztecs have not dipped into the European professional market for players, but maybe this season will change their perspective.

They have nine losses. Seven have come against teams with a European big.

The latest was New Mexico, which got 24 points and 18 rebounds from the 6-foot-9, 240-pound Tomislav Buljan, a 23-year-old Croatian pro granted one season of collegiate eligibility by the NCAA. He had 20 and 14 in the first meeting, when the Aztecs narrowly escaped with an 83-79 win after trailing in the final minute.

“He was a monster tonight,” Haupt said. “That was huge for us. Loved the way he played.”

The week before, the Aztecs lost to Colorado State and Rashaan Mbemba from Austria.

They’ve lost to Grand Canyon twice with 7-1 Turkish pro Efe Demirel, a 21-year-old “freshman” who has experience in the Euroleague, the continent’s most prestigious competition.

In the December loss to Arizona where the Aztecs were crushed 52-28 on the boards, 7-2, 260-pound Lithuanian center Motiejus Krivas had 13.

Michigan, which beat SDSU in November, has 7-3 Aday Mara of Spain.

Baylor beat the Aztecs two days later with 6-9 Michael Rataj of Germany, then a few weeks later added 7-0 James Nnaji from Spanish club FC Barcelona.

Only Troy and Utah State didn’t start a European big in wins against SDSU — although Mexican forward Victor Valdes had 20 points for Troy.

“Obviously, it’s changing the game,” Dutcher said. “The European pros are coming over because they can make more money over here than they can in Europe. They come over and they’re making good money, whether it’s Demirel at Grand Canyon or it’s Buljan at New Mexico.

“These are good players who come up through a club system and are basically professional basketball players.”

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