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

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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

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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)

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“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.

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‘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.)

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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.

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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.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

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

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“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. 

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

Learn more about the Fox News Wine Shop here. 

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Montana

Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for April 18, 2026

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The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at April 18, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from April 18 drawing

24-25-39-46-61, Powerball: 01, Power Play: 5

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Lotto America numbers from April 18 drawing

18-21-22-32-42, Star Ball: 10, ASB: 03

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from April 18 drawing

10-16-29-31, Bonus: 13

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from April 18 drawing

06-08-09-20-22

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Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
  • Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Nevada

IN RESPONSE: Cortez Masto lands bill would keep the proceeds in Nevada

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IN RESPONSE: Cortez Masto lands bill would keep the proceeds in Nevada


A recent Review-Journal letter to the editor mischaracterized Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, also known as the Clark County Lands bill. As the former executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, I wholeheartedly support this legislation, so I wanted to set the record straight.

Sen. Cortez Masto has been working on this bill for years in partnership with state and local governments, conservation groups like the NCL and local area tribes. It’s true that the Clark County lands bill would open 25,000 acres to help Las Vegas grow responsibly, while setting aside 2 million acres for conservation. It would also help create more affordable housing throughout the valley while ensuring our treasured public spaces can be preserved for generations to come.

What is not correct is that the money from these land sales would go to the federal government’s coffers. In fact, the opposite is true.

The 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is a landmark bill that identified specific public land for future sale and created a special account ensuring all land sale revenues would come back to Nevada. In accordance with that law 5 percent of revenue from land transfers goes to the state of Nevada for general education purposes, 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for needed water infrastructure and 85 percent supports conservation and environmental mitigation projects in Southern Nevada. This legislation has provided billions to Clark County and will continue to benefit generations of Southern Nevadans. Sen. Cortez Masto’s lands bill builds upon the act’s success.

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So here’s the good news: All of the money generated from land made available for sale under Sen. Cortez Masto’s bill would be sent to the special account created by the 1998 law. Rather than going to an unaccountable federal government, the proceeds would continue to help kids in Vegas get a better education, bolster outdoor recreation and modernize Southern Nevada’s infrastructure.

I know how important it is that money generated from the sale of public land in Nevada stay in the hands of Nevadans, and so does the senator. That’s why she opposed a Republican effort last year to sell off 200,000 acres of land in Clark County and other areas of the country that would have sent those dollars directly to Washington.

Public land management in Nevada should benefit Nevadans. We should protect sacred cultural sites and beloved recreation spaces, responsibly transfer land for affordable housing when needed and ensure our state has the resources it needs to grow sustainably. I will continue working with Sen. Cortez Masto to advocate for legislation, such as the Clark County lands bill, that puts the needs of Nevadans first.

Paul Selberg writes from Las Vegas.

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New Mexico

Calm and warmer conditions move into New Mexico

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Calm and warmer conditions move into New Mexico


Josh’s Saturday Night Forecast

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Calmer weather has moved back into the state this afternoon. Temperatures are slightly warmer across northwestern New Mexico, while southeastern areas are cooler thanks to the backdoor cold fronts that moved in on Friday. Breezier winds will return Sunday and will help kick off a warming trend across the state, along with an elevated fire threat in eastern New Mexico.

Warmer weather will continue building in across the state throughout the upcoming week. A few isolated rain chances will return Monday in parts of New Mexico, but some of that rain may evaporate before reaching the ground.

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