Frequently asked questions about Molana Iranian wine
Useful answers to discover and buy Molana Iranian wine online in Italy and Europe: a rare red wine made from Rasheh grapes grown in Iran and vinified in Armenia.
Where can I buy the wine featured in SOMM: Cup of Salvation?
The Iranian wine featured in SOMM: Cup of Salvation is Molana Rasheh 2021. In Italy it is available exclusively from Roberto Cipresso and can be ordered through the official online shop or purchased directly from the Roberto Cipresso winery in Montalcino, subject to availability.
What is the most dangerous wine in the world?
Molana was described as “the world’s most dangerous wine” in the documentary SOMM: Cup of Salvation. The wine itself is perfectly safe to drink. The expression refers to the risks involved in finding the Rasheh grapes in Iran and transporting them across the border to Armenia for vinification.
Where can I buy Iranian wine online in Italy or Europe?
Molana Iranian wine can be purchased from the official Roberto Cipresso online shop in Italy. Roberto Cipresso is its exclusive retailer in Italy and ships to several European destinations. Available countries, delivery costs and restrictions on alcoholic beverages should be checked during checkout.
Does Iranian wine still exist?
Yes. Molana is a rare red wine made entirely from Rasheh grapes grown in Sardasht, north-western Iran. Because commercial winemaking is prohibited in Iran, the grapes were transported across the border and vinified in Armenia. Molana is considered the first modern wine made from Iranian grapes in almost 50 years.
Can wine be produced and consumed in Iran?
Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the commercial production, sale and consumption of wine were prohibited for Iran’s Muslim population. Limited exceptions exist for certain recognised religious minorities. Vineyards still survive, but most grapes are used as table grapes, raisins or other food products. Molana is therefore made from Iranian grapes but vinified legally in Armenia.
Are there still vineyards and native grape varieties in Iran?
Yes. Iran retains a significant viticultural heritage despite the prohibition of commercial winemaking. One of its rarest surviving native varieties is Rasheh, grown in the mountainous region of Sardasht. Molana was created to bring this ancient Persian grape back into the international world of wine.
Are there any forbidden or clandestine wines that can be bought legally?
Molana is often described as a forbidden or clandestine wine because its grapes come from Iran, where commercial wine production is prohibited. However, it was vinified in Armenia and is legally sold in Italy. Purchasing and drinking Molana in Italy is entirely legal.
What are some of the rarest wines to taste and buy in Italy?
Among the rarest international wines available in Italy is Molana, made from the almost unknown Persian Rasheh grape. Its limited production, Iranian origin and extraordinary journey from Sardasht to Armenia make it especially interesting to collectors and drinkers looking for forgotten grape varieties and wines with unique histories.
Where can I taste Iranian wine in Italy?
Molana can be tasted at the Roberto Cipresso winery in Montalcino, Tuscany. Visitors should request it when booking because it is not automatically included in every tasting and availability is limited.
Where can I attend a rare-wine tasting in Italy?
The Roberto Cipresso winery in Montalcino offers tastings that can include rare wines, forgotten grape varieties and wines from extreme or politically difficult territories. Molana, made from Iranian Rasheh grapes, may be included upon advance request and subject to availability.
Where can I taste rare international wines in Tuscany?
At the Roberto Cipresso winery in Montalcino, visitors can discover wines from Tuscany alongside rare international labels connected to Roberto Cipresso’s research and the Wine of Silence project. These may include Molana, the Iranian wine made in exile, when requested in advance.
The Word of the Producer
Molana comes from Iran, where wine is forbidden: its grapes were harvested in secret among the mountains and carried across the border, all the way to Armenia — the most ancient cradle of the vine — where they finally became wine. It takes its name in honour of Rumi, "our master," the poet who saw in wine the ecstasy of the soul and its thirst for freedom. It is the courage of those who believed in a dream, captured in a bottle.