Local Products of Samos

Olive Oil

Olive oil was the first agricultural product, which was produced on Samos; During the first half of the 20th century there were 66 oil presses on the island. The second half of the 20th century was a period of many great changes in the sector of olive oil production, which forced the closure of many olive presses. Oil presses of bigger capacity were established in their place, some of which survived and some didn’t. After 1970, technological developments brought changes in the way of obtaining olive oil from olives. The traditional way of crushing olives and extracting the oil by applying pressure to olive paste was abandoned. A modern method was applied instead, which consists in crushing olives into a fine paste by the use of a rotating mechanical mill; afterwards oil is extracted by creating high centrifugal forces and using large amounts of water. It is doubtful whether the new technology improved the quality of olive oil, but it certainly increased quantities produced, yielding dubious profit to olive oil producers and reduced spectacularly labour need in the process. Due to these insurmountable and insolvable problems and the low price of olive oil the number of olive oil producers is ever-decreasing. Thus, in recent years oil presses operating on Samos amounted to 16, of which only 9 were in operation in the period 2001-2002.

Wine

Wine, and especially Muscat wine, has always been part of the history of Samos and the life of its inhabitants. The tradition of cultivation of grapes and wine making on the island stretches back as far as 1200 BC, as evidenced in historic sources. The Muscat wine with protected designation of origin “SAMOS” is made from the famous white Muscat grape variety, grown on the terraced slopes of mount Ambelos up to an altitude of 900 m. This unique product made in Samos has been under the control of the Union of Vinicultural Cooperatives of Samos since it was established in 1934. The Union is committed to protecting the income of Samian vine growers and investing in up-to-date equipment and know-how. The Union operates two state-of-the-art wineries for the collection, treatment and vinification of wine products, located in Malagari and Karlovasi, respectively. The major part of Samian wine production is exported to demanding foreign markets such as France, German, the Netherlands, Sweden, etc.

Two classes of wine are produced on Samos, sweet dessert wines and dry wines.

All kinds of dessert wines, produced on Samos, have a protected designation of origin status and are marketed under the following names:

NECTAR OF SAMOS (WINE NATURALLEMENT DOUX)

This is a naturally sweet dessert wine with protected designation of origin “SAMOS”. Of finest quality, it is one of the best wines, produced in Greece and worldwide. It is made from select overripe white Muscat grapes, which have been sun-dried to develop a high degree of sweetness. The Nectar, a special wine with a soft taste and aroma, and of distinctive character, is produced from the juice of Muscat sun-dried grapes, which have undergone natural fermentation. It is a very popular wine, distinguished with many international awards. The wine ages in oak barrels for a period of 3 years. It can be enjoyed at any time of the day and is best served with sweets and fruits, at a temperature of 16-17 ?C.

WINE DOUX OF SAMOS

Samos Vin Doux is a dessert wine with protected designation of origin “SAMOS”. It is made from ripe aromatic Muscat grapes with a high degree of sweetness, grown in only one single vineyard on Samos. This wine has had a successful market presence for more than a century and has been awarded many times, making the island of Samos famous all over the world. Samos Vin Doux is very popular for its sweet flavour and strong aroma of Muscat grapes. It can be enjoyed at any time of the day and is best served with sweets and fruits, at a temperature of 10-12 ?C.

REGIONAL NATURAL SWEET WINE OF SAMOS

This is a naturally sweet dessert wine with all the aroma, sweetness and tingling taste of overripe Muscat grapes, grown in select small vineyards, yielding up to half a tonne of grapes. It has protected designation of origin “SAMOS”. The rich flavour of this wine makes it a perfect match for all kinds of foods, from sweets and fruits to salty foods. It can also be served as an aperitif. However, this style of wine is ideally suited to wildfowl game, red meat, various kinds of sausages and salamis or cheese. Best served at a temperature of 8-10 ?C.

ANTHEMIS OF SAMOS

Samos Anthemis is a dessert wine, with a protected designation of origin "SAMOS". It is made from ripe, aromatic Muscat grapes with a high degree of sweetness and is released for sale after ageing in oak barrels for five year. It has had a successful market presence for more than a century and has been awarded many times. Samos Anthemis has a complex taste of ripe fruits and other unique flavours. The wine is ideally suited to sweets and fruits and is best served at a temperature of 16-17 ?C.

WINE OF THE HOLY COMMUNION OF SAMOS

This is a dessert wine with a protected designation of origin “SAMOS”. It is a fine quality wine, traditionally used for the Holy Communion in the Greek Orthodox Church. The Holy Communion wine is made from grapes grown in select vineyards, which have been given the privilege and the blessing by the Holy Metropolis of Samos and Ikaria. The wine undergoes a special ageing process.

Dry wines, produced on the island of Samos, are marketed under the following names:

SAMENA GOLDEN

Samena Golden is a dry table white wine from Muscat grapes grown in mountainous vineyards. Distinctive for its mild taste and discreet aroma of Muscat grapes, this style of wine is easy to drink and enjoy. It is ideally suited to fish, white meat, appetizers and various kinds of snacks. Best served at a temperature of 10-12 ?C.

DORYSSA

Doryssa is a dry white table wine with a balanced flavour. It is made from grapes, grown in select mountainous vineyards of Samos. An authentic dry wine, it has a discreet Muscat flavour. Although Doryssa has been rather recently introduced to the market, it has already become very popular. It is best served with fish, seafood or white meat, at a temperature of 8-10?C.

SELANA ROSE

Selana is a dry rose table wine, a combination of two rare varieties of black grapes, Fokianos (also spelled Phochian) and Ritinos (also spelled Retinian), which thrive on the favourable soil and climate conditions of Samos and are vinified using up-to-date vinification methods.  Selana Rose is produced in small quantities despite its popularity. Its bouquet and traditional flavour make it a delight for the senses and a good match for your favourite cuisine. Best served at a temperature of 10-12?C.

SAMENA

Samena is a dry white table wine made from fragrant Muscat grapes growing in select vineyards on mountain terrains on Samos. This style of wine does not reach high degree of sweetness. With its mild flavour and subtle Muscat grape aroma, it is easy to drink and enjoy. Samena is best served with fish, seafood or white meat, at a temperature of 8-10?C.