Maysara

It took seven years for Mo Momtazi to find a chunk of land in the Willamette Valley that reminded him of his childhood, where his grandparents grew crops on lush farmland in Northern Iran.

Northern Iran?

Despite the fact that most Americans picture Iran as a desert with mounds of sand, a dry, arid climate, and no water, Northern Iran, near the Caspian Sea, has thick forests, green valleys, and a picturesque mountain range. It is an area where Momtazi's grandparents grew tea, rice, wheat and wine grapes.

"I always wanted to get into agriculture, like my grandparents," said Momtazi, a design engineer by day, and winery owner/grape grower by day and night. "I remember the tastes and flavors of my childhood and for the most part, my grandparents didn't interfere with Mother Nature.

His grandparents refused to use chemicals and fertilizers in the soil or on the plants.

"I wanted to do the same."

Momtazi found his dream farm just west of McMinnville in 1997 and began planting grapes in 1998. His first intention was to grow and sell grapes on the 522 acres, and slowly build a winery- Maysara.

Some of the top Oregon wineries make single vineyard designate Momtazi vineyard wines today.

Wine industry insiders first identified Momtazi as a sleeper vineyard of great potential in 2000, and word of mouth spread quickly in the Northwest. Some of the best Oregon wineries purchase Momtazi Vineyard fruit and make vineyard designate wines from the grapes.

The list of wineries lining up to purchase Momtazi grapes is impressive. Lynn Penner-Ash, one of Oregon's top winemakers, said she was surprised at the intensity and balance of such young fruit and predicts Momtazi will rank highly with the best Oregon Pinot Noir in the years to come.

Other wineries purchasing Momtazi Vineyard grapes include: St. Innocent, Bergstrom, Sam Tannahill (Shea Vineyards) for his own label with his wife, Cheryl Francis, Andrew Rich, Adea, Torii Mor, Elk Cove, J. Christopher and Rex Hill, among others.

Momtazi Vineyard's winery Maysara is now in the capable hands of the three Momtazi daughters, Tahmiene, Naseem, and Hanna. Their first collaboration was the 3 Degrees Pinot noir 08. The name, 3 Degrees, refers to the happenstance that the sisters are very, very different from one another in both style and political leaning.

The eldest, Tahmiene, is the winemaker.