🍷 2021 Molana Dry Red Wine (Rasheh, Armenia – Iranian Grapes)
Introduction & Background
In the fall of 2021, acclaimed winemaker Vahe Keushgerian—the visionary behind Keush sparkling wines, Zulal, and Oshin—undertook a daring journey to Iran, intent on reviving winemaking from its roots. With wine banned in Iran since 1979, Vahe clandestinely sourced 100% Rasheh grapes from the remote Sardasht region near the Iraqi border and brought them to Armenia for vinification.
The result: Molana Dry Red Wine, crafted from the first modern Iranian-grown grapes made into wine in over four decades. Named in honor of Rumi ("Molana" meaning "our teacher"), this wine stands not only as an expression of ancient terroir but also as a triumph of winemaking ingenuity and cultural preservation.
Viticulture & Winemaking
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Grape: 100% Rasheh from Sardasht, Iran, at 1,480 m elevation on volcanic soils
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Fermentation: Native-yeast, 40-day maceration to preserve varietal character
- Aging: Stainless steel to highlight freshness and minerality
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Production: Approximately 12,000 bottles globally—an extremely limited release (some sources report 1,200 cases; others 10,000–12,000 bottles)
Tasting Notes
A fascinating, medium-bodied red with a ruby hue and lifted aromas of black cherry, blackberry, and cassis, layered with green peppercorn, herbs, and warming spices. The wine opens slowly; once aerated, elegant ripe fruit emerges, balanced by black and green pepper, a savory herbal complexity, and a persistent, medium-long finish. Velvety tannins and well-integrated acidity provide structure without heaviness.
Another review notes its tender, diaphanous texture, “floral berry tones, sumac and tomato-vine nuances,” and a “gem-cut ruby” feel on the palate—elegant, fresh, and beautifully balanced.
Food Pairing Suggestions
- Grilled lamb or beef kebabs—complement high-elevation tannins and pepper spice
- Game meats like venison or duck with spiced fruit sauces
- Persian cuisine—dishes such as lamb ghormeh sabzi or herb-forward stews
- Age-worthy cheeses—semi-firm Comté, Manchego, or nutty aged Gouda
Cultural & Collectible Significance
This is not just a wine—it’s a narrative of cultural resilience, one of the most daring wine projects ever attempted, and the first modern Iranian wine in exile since 1979. Featured in the documentary SOMM: Cup of Salvation, Molana represents a fusion of heritage, artistry, and defiance.
Drinking Window
Enjoyable now with decanting, this wine should evolve gracefully over 3–5 years, adding tertiary spice and developing further depth. Given its limited availability and distinct story, it's highly collectible.
In Summary
The 2021 Molana Dry Red is a trailblazing wine that transcends its exquisite palate—revealing cherry and cassis fruit, peppery spice, herbal layers, and refined structure—to become a symbol of historical revival. Crafted from clandestinely sourced Rasheh grapes, fermented with native yeast, and named for Rumi, this limited-release wine is a powerful convergence of culture, courage, and craft. A must-try for adventurous wine lovers, collectors, and those who appreciate stories as profound as the wine itself.
Product of Armenia
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From Los Angeles Magazine by Michele McPhee
Grapes Smuggled Out of Iran By Armenian Father, Daughter Vintners Puts the Region's Wines on the Map
For the first time in four decades, Iranian grapes are used for an Armenian-created wine: Molana, which pays homage to the legendary Persian poet, Rumi, which was celebrated at Santa Barbara County boutique hotel Cuyuma Buckhorn
"What? You don’t drink wine? Infidel, begone!" Rumi, the Persian preacher turned poet mused in one of his many ancient writings that reference his homeland's legendary vineyards, cultivated from grapes that date back thousands of years.
In the years since the Iranian Revolution in 1979 led to Islamic rule that makes imbibing wine and other alcohol beverages punishable by law, Rumi's muse has been difficult to obtain despite the history of winemaking that dates back to around 5000 BC.
That is until Vahe Keushguerian and his daughter Aimee found a way to sneak into Iran to track down vines grown in high elevation on volcanic soil and smuggle out the best grapes to Armenia where the first Iranian wines in nearly five decades are being produced in a country whose winemaking was almost wiped out in the years when the Soviet Union took over.
Now the Keushgerians' father, daughter duo are putting Armenia back on the global wine scene with dangerous treks into Iran, a journey that is now the subject of an Amazon documentary titled "SOMM: Cup of Salvation," about the war-torn conflict zone between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which has been in chaos since the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was disbanded. The chaotic area happens to be, Keushguerian told Los Angeles, where many of the best vineyards exist for Molana Wines.
This ancient wine produced in exile was the centerpiece of a recent dinner by celebrated Chef Hugo Vera at Cuyuma Buckhorn, a luxury boutique hotel secreted in the aptly named Valley of Enchantment in Santa Barbara County's high desert. The roadside motel just outside the Los Padres National Forest is a true gem, but it's the ranch to table restaurant that makes a stay at Cuyuma Buckhorn special, and the Molana wine dinner proved it.
The six courses, included an entire lamb roasted on a pit that greeted guests outside the Cuyuma Buckhorn. Attendees included Santa Barbara wine makers, writers, and Keshgerian who introduced three different wines from Molana, an event that was the brainchild of the hotel's General Manager Scott Augat after he watched the documentary and admired the Armenian winemaker's "ballsiness."
"The wine is dangerous, sexy," Augat said as he introduced the vintner being honored. Keushgerian beamed at the description as he poured the "wine of the poets," the "grapes of the Gods."
Rumi was onto something when he wrote another verse about wine: "Give me more wine. Or leave me alone."
“Vahe Keushguerian is putting Armenia winemaking back on the global map with ancient grapes smuggle out of Iran. He honored Molana Wine at boutique hotel Cuyuma Buckhorn this month.” Michele McPhee
