(Rferl) - Wine has always been a part of Iranian culture. References to it even appear frequently in poetry. But since the 1979 revolution, alcohol has been banned in Iran -- punishable by flogging, fines, and jail time. Despite the stiff penalties and the confiscation of millions of liters of alcoholic beverages, Iranian officials say consumption is on the rise. The country's newspapers reported earlier this week that the amount of confiscated alcohol has increased by 69 percent in the past year.