Driving home Robin and I decided to stop at Maysara which is located just a bit up the road from Coeur de Terre where I am doing my internship. I love the Momtazi family. Moe, the patriarch of the family, has created an amazing new edifice on their estate. The scale of the building is hard to imagine, but I think it would be safe to say it's the only winery in the state with abundant indoor parking for the tasting room.
The new building is up the hill from their older one. As you enter the estate you drive past their irrigation pond, and see a building straight ahead of you. Veer to the left, go around that building and follow the signs up to the new one. I predicted that the ambiance and cave-like feel of the new tasting room would be popular, and it is. The tasting room counter is glorious, I think. The first time I saw it, it was covered up for construction. This time it was covered with people. All of the wood in this project and most of the other materials we harvested from the estate. That's Naseem trying to keep track of everyone's tasting, working behind the counter in the photo above. The scale of everything in the building is huge. The tasting room counter seems to go on forever. I asked Flora, the matriarch of the Momtazi family, if they had hired some artist to do the doors and tasting room counter. "No, our workers did all of it" she proudly proclaimed. And rightfully so. They have concentrated on finishing the multi-story section of the building which is to the right hand side as you drive up the hill. The tasting room is at the bottom with an outdoor entrance. Above is an office, a small gathering space and an industrial kitchen.
I predict that this new building is going to build a lot of interest for Maysara. It just seems so brilliant to me to use the employees who work at your truss factory to build a beautiful building in a down economy. As things pick up Maysara is beautifully positioned to attract new visitors, and to bring back some folks who haven't been there for a while.
Oh, and the wines are great. The three daughters have their own label now called 3 Degrees. They make an all estate, Demeter Certified, Bio Dynamic, Pinot Noir for $20. That's just ridiculous. We sell a lot of it at Wednesday Wines. So, head up to Maysara for a tasting soon. You won't even have to get out of your car. Then while you're there swing on up to Coeur de Terre and say hi. They are two of my favorite wine destinations.