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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.
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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)
“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.”
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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.
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“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.
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Las Vegas first responders conduct seven-hour rescue of injured climber stranded 600 feet up rock face
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First responders in Nevada carried out a dramatic seven-hour rescue after a climber was seriously injured while stranded roughly 600 feet up a steep rock face near Las Vegas.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) said search and rescue teams were notified around noon Saturday about an injured climber on the “Dream Safari” route along Dark Shadows Wall in Pine Creek.
Authorities said the climber had fallen an estimated 40 to 50 feet, suffering severe head and back injuries.
The victim’s climbing partner and a guide from another climbing party reached the injured climber and controlled the bleeding while awaiting rescue crews.
Rescuers secured the climber in a titanium litter and lowered the patient in stages down the rock face. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
Four search and rescue officers and a lead climb volunteer were inserted by the department’s AIR3 helicopter several hundred feet above the victim at the top of the route.
Rescuers then rappelled down the rock face, provided medical treatment while suspended mid-face, and secured the patient in a titanium litter.
Crews constructed a lowering system and brought the climber several hundred feet down to the ground through three separate lowering stations, with a rescuer attending to the patient during the descent.
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Las Vegas police search and rescue teams spent seven hours lowering an injured climber 600 feet to safety. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
Once at the base, additional volunteers carried the litter to an extraction point where the helicopter returned to airlift the victim to a Bureau of Land Management helipad.
The climber was then transferred to a ground ambulance and taken to a local hospital.
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The climber’s helmet was destroyed in the fall but likely saved the person’s life, officials said. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
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LVMPD wrote on Facebook that the entire operation lasted about seven hours from initial insertion to final extraction.
“Although the victim’s helmet was destroyed during the fall, it likely saved their life,” police said.
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SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — ABC7 Eyewitness News got a sneak peak as crews put the finishing touches on the floats you’ll see at Saturday’s San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival and Parade.
Since it’s the year of the fire horse, you’ll see a lot of horses and fire symbolism on the floats, housed at Pier 19.
“So Year of the Horse, it’s energy, it’s passion, it’s momentum so a lot of things that we’re really hoping to embody in the new year,” said Stephanie Mufson, owner of San Francisco-based The Parade Guys, which designs and constructs the floats.
She said they’ve been building them for about three months, with the designs starting in November.
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“We’re in the home stretch,” she said. “We’ve got a couple of days left and we’ve got a nice little team that’s cranking out all the finishing work that needs to go into it.”
Derrick Shavers was sanding some wood that will be painted and become cherry blossom trees on a float.
“It’s exciting,” Shavers said. “I look forward to coming every year and just creating and making things shine and sparkle.”
Bon was painting mountains for a float, making sure everything is perfect in time for the parade.
MORE: Meet the 2026 San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade mascot, Maverick
“It’s one of the few parades that actually happens at night still,” Bon said. “So we got to make sure all the lighting is in check, and people are safe on the float. It’s all in the details, just for it to walk by you for 10 seconds.”
Ten seconds that bring so much joy to those watching the parade.
Here’s how you can watch the parade on ABC7 Eyewitness News on Saturday, March 7.
Coverage starts at 5 p.m. wherever you stream ABC7.
SF Chinese New Year Parade 2026: How to watch ABC7 Eyewitness News live coverage
If you’re on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live
Copyright © 2026 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — The Class 5A Sweet 16 has arrived, and both Grand Junction and Palisade are still standing with trips to the Great Eight in Denver on the line.
At The Jungle, the No. 2 seed Grand Junction Tigers set the tone early against No. 18 Golden. Defense carried the Tigers from the opening tip as they held the Demons to nine first quarter points while scoring 16 of their own.
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Grand Junction added eight points in the second quarter while Golden managed six, sending the Tigers into halftime with a nine point lead.
Golden responded in the third quarter, outscoring Grand Junction 16 to 11 to cut the deficit to five entering the fourth. The Tigers answered in the final period, attacking the rim and converting key shots to win the quarter 19 to 10. Grand Junction secured a 54 to 41 victory to protect its home court and advance to the Great Eight in Denver.
Top seeded Palisade also defended its home floor with a trip to Denver at stake. The Bulldogs opened with nine straight points to energize a packed gym, but Frederick settled in and closed the first quarter on a run to tie the game at nine.
Frederick continued to respond in the second quarter and took an eight point lead into halftime.
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Palisade shifted momentum after the break. The Bulldogs tightened defensively, holding Frederick to 21 points in the second half while scoring 39 of their own. Palisade completed the comeback to advance to the Great Eight.
Colorado Mesa University Women Deliver Historic RMAC Tournament Win
In collegiate action, the top seeded Colorado Mesa University women’s basketball team defeated Colorado School of Mines 96 to 51 in the RMAC Tournament, marking the largest margin of victory in the tournament this century.
Olivia Reed-Thyne led the Mavericks with 34 points on 11 of 15 shooting, her third 30 point performance this season. Mason Rowland added 22 points and Hallie Clark contributed 10 as Colorado Mesa matched a program record with its 31st win. The Mavericks will host the semifinals Friday with a berth in the championship game at stake.
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Colorado Mesa University Men Survive Overtime Thriller
The Colorado Mesa University men’s basketball team faced New Mexico Highlands University for the third time this season. The Mavericks scored 36 first half points and led by four at the break.
New Mexico Highlands shot 50 percent in the second half, received 21 bench points and outscored Colorado Mesa 43 to 39 to force a late push. With the season in the balance, Ty Allred hit a game tying 3 pointer to make it 75 and send the game to overtime. Allred scored seven points in the extra period as Colorado Mesa earned a 91 to 90 victory to advance to the next round.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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