The history of Samian wines - for the production of which the Samos Union of Winemaking Co - operatives is today exclusively responsible - begins in antiquity, at a time when history is still entangled with tradition and mythology - when Angaeus, hero of the Argonauts' expedition, was King of Samos. Information about the wines of Samos in antiquity can be found in the works of the ancient authors Hippocrates, Galen, and Theophrastus, among others. It has been demonstrated that the ancient ship found wrecked off Kyrenia ( Cyprus ) was carrying wine from Samos.

For the Byzantine period we have little information on this subject. What we have comes chiefly from the cleric Willimant, who stopped off at Samos in 741 A.D. on his way to Jerusalem.

Under Turkish occupation, in 1562, the European Powers started to interest themselves in Samian wines and set up consulates on the island.

In 1700, the French traveller Tournefort and in 1787 the German Frissermann noted that production of moschato type wine was calculated at 3,000 barrels. By the late 19th century Samos was supplying the markets of East and West with its - now famous - wines, while the Roman Catholic Church accorded to the island the privilege of supplying altar wine. This distinction is still retained today and the Union exports altar wine certified by the Catholic Mission.

" Samos " was the first Greek wine to be recognised as a " quality wine produced in a specific region " and for more than a century has been Greek wine's best ambassador in the international market.

In the French market - noted for its difficult nature and its thorough knowledge of the product - the quality of Samos wines has won them an enviable position. In fact, constantly increasing demand cannot, unfortunately, be met by the limited potential yield of the island.