image sourced from original article at Moe Momtazi, an Iran-born winemaker who fled his homeland in 1982, has built one of the world’s top-ranked vineyards in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Alcohol has been banned in Iran since the Islamic Revolution, yet Momtazi’s Maysara Winery, which means 'house of wine' in Farsi, now ranks among the best globally. He says Iran 'could progress' and become 'the pride of the Middle East' if its current regime falls.
Momtazi left Iran with his pregnant wife during a time he described as unbearable, eventually becoming a United States citizen and establishing a successful family-run winery. While his mother and two brothers still live in Tehran, he says his relatives are proud of the family’s achievements in America. For the Momtazis, producing wine is both a tribute to Persian cultural heritage and an expression of gratitude for the opportunities they found in the United States.
His daughter, Naseem Momtazi Bachinsky, said she hopes for greater freedom in Iran, particularly for women to make their own choices without fear. She emphasized that religion itself is not the problem but rather leaders who use it as a tool for power. The family remains hopeful that Iran, a land with ancient ties to winemaking, will one day celebrate freedom alongside its rich cultural traditions.
