Oregon Home | 59 Moe Momtazi, owner and grower at Maysara Winery, and his winemaker daughter, Tahmiene Momtazi, make awardwinning Pinot gris and Pinot Noir at their 532-acre estate south of McMinnville. Perfect Summer Pairings: PINOT GRIS + FISH BY DANIELLE CENTONI AND KERRY NEWBERRY IT’S HARD NOT to draw parallels between the Momtazi family and their 500-plus-acre certified biodynamic estate in the hills southwest of McMinnville. There’s a thread of harmony and synergy that runs through both, as Iranian immigrants Moe and Flora Momtazi and their three adult daughters all work together and support each other in the business in a way that’s not unlike their holistic approach in the vineyard. Winemaker and eldest daughter Tahmiene grew up seeing firsthand the transformational power of holistic farming. Her father, Moe, an engineer by trade, farmer at heart, and a pioneer of biodynamic farming in Oregon, transformed the abandoned wheat field he purchased in 1997 into a lush vineyard of Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Riesling, the fruit of which is sought after among winemakers all over the valley. After earning her degree in food science and technology as well as fermentation science from OSU, Tahmiene worked at several wineries around the state and Kim Crawford in New Zealand before joining the family business as the inaugural winemaker in 2007. “Working with our grapes is truly a blessing because I can always count on knowing I’m working with the best fruit, and it shows in the wine,” she says. “By creating healthy soil and in return healthy grapes, we produce high-quality fruit without having to harm or take away from the local environment.” While many Willamette Valley winemakers point to Pinot Noir as their true love, Tahmiene says her heart belongs to white wine. “At Kim Crawford, I found my love of working with white wines. They had me step out of tradition and explore other ways to make it, and it set my white wines to be different from many of the other producers here in Oregon. Our Pinot Blanc is bright in acidity, fullflavored with mineral, lychee, lemon zest, and tropical fruits.” No matter what varietal she works with, the goal is always the same: let the fruit speak for itself. “I make sure that I’m not taking away from the fruit, but rather showcasing it in its truest nature.” BOOK EXCERPT
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==