The northern vine - growing villages which extend across the slopes of Mount Ambelos and reach the northern coast of the island are the most productive of the twenty six vine - growing areas, member of the Union.

Mount Ambelos ( ambelos meaning vine in Greek ) has been known by that name at least since the 1st century A.D., when mentioned by the Greek geographer Strabo. It has an altitude of 1140 m. Ancient low stone walls were built to hold the valuable earth, forming consecutive teracces, narrow strips of land which often allow only one row of vines to be properly cultivated.

At Vourliotes, Manolates, Ambelos and Stavrinides as well as at the village of Platanos, which overlooks the northern and southern seas, the moschato vine constitutes the gist of the inhabitants' economy, whilst at the seaside villages of Kokkari and Agios Constantinos the production has been significantly curtailed owing to rapidly increasing tourism in the last few years. Hence, only the mountain villages of Ambelos seem to continue the traditional and demanding cultivation of the vine, unique source of income in the area.

Samos " naturally sweet wine ", Vin naturellement Doux, is the sun baked natural sweet Samian wine marketed under the name NECTAR. NECTAR comes from specially chosen overripe " moschato " grapes. After the grapes are picked they are spread out in the sun for a number of days until their water content is eliminated and their juice has acquired a high sugar content which reaches up to about 500 gr. per litre. As a result of this natural alcoholic fermentation of the grape - juice, the NECTAR wine is produced, a wine with quite a high alcoholic and sugar content no requiring any addition of alcohol.

This sun baked naturally sweet wine owes its aromatic quality to the intrinsic aroma of the grape itself, the aromatic substances which are created during its very careful and sensitive alcoholic fermentation, as well as to the length of its ripening. Its delicate taste and bouquet, the quite exceptional character of this wonderful wine, has attracted amongst the connoisseurs a host of earnest admirers who know how to appreciate every sip of this golden beverage.

The sweet Samian wine known as SAMOS DOUX, Vin de Liquer, is produced from extra sweet " moschato " grapes. Their juice has a sugar content of at least 221 gr / lt. Pure vinic alcohol is added to the must during the process of vinification and before the onstart of the alcoholic fermentation. Thus SAMOS DOUX is a fragrant sweet wine preserving the full aroma and the original sweetness of the grape from which it is derived.

This wine needs no special recommendation. In a few years it will celebrate its centenary, a hundred years of " sweet life ". It has traveled across the seas and over the continents to reach the four corners of the earth. The most reputable european firms represent it successfully since the 19th century and, of course, you will find no greek home without it. SAMOS DOUX, discreatly accompanies its friends during the happy moments of their lives, cherished by four generations of consumers.

The half - sweet Samian wine SAMOS VIN DOUX NATUREL, is made, like the SAMOS DOUX, from highly alcoholized must with an original sugar content of at least 238 gr / lt. Alcohol, however, is added during the fermentation and not beforehand, as is the case with the sweet wine. Thus, at some given wine the vinic alcohol added in a proportion of about 5 - 10 % arrests the alcoholic fermentation. Therefore the wine produced is sweet enough since it retains a large amount of unfermented sugar, though semi - sweet as it has lost part of its original sweetness, whilst retaining its aroma by preserving the fragrance of the savoury " moschato " grape.

SAMOS VIN DOUX NATUREL goes well not only with dessert and fruit, but also with the main courses. To the culinary enthusiasts, who believe that a good wine promotes fine cooking, we recommend this half - sweet wine in the preparation or simmering of meat and especially of venison.

SAMOS VIN DOUX NATUREL - GRAND CRU, is produced from overripe aromatic grapes cultivated on the island's most exquisite vineyards whose total output does not exceed 500 kg per 1000 sq. m. The grape juice, which must have a sugar content of at least 252 gr / lt., is left to ferment until the vinic alcohol is added in proportion of 5 - 10 % preventing further fermentation. The wine produced retains the sweetness of the unfermented sugar, the fine aroma of the grape, as well as the fullness it acquires during its ripening.

The world of wine is a world in itself, full of secrets, specific knowledge, anxieties and delights, shared by both producers and connoisseurs. To these experts we dedicate our new wine, SAMOS VIN DOUX NATUREL - GRAND CRU.

The aromatic " moschato " grape grown on steep mountain slopes in vineyards perched between sea and sky, takes a long time to ripen without attaining a high degree of sweetness. The popular, white, dry, table - wine SAMAINA, renowned for its fragrance comes from these vineyards. The must extracted from these mountain grapes - with a sugar content of less than 220 gr. per litre - undergoes an alcoholic fermentation which is completed when all, or nearly all, the sugar has been converted, giving birth to two types of white table - wine :

The SAMAINA SPECIAL VIN SEC which retains a trace of sweetness, characteristic of its smooth taste, and the SAMAINA VIN SEC with no sweetness at all.

Both SAMAINA wines are classified as light dry wines, pleasant table companions with a delicate aroma. All who know both these wines will agree with our principle that " the oenologist's responsibility doesn't end when the consumer drinks the wine but rather when he wakes up the following morning ".

Besides the " moschato " grape which covers 98 % of the vineyards of Samos a variety of other vines are cultivated on the island. Two in particular excel : The rose FOKIANOS marketed as sweet, demi - sec and sec, and the dry rose table - wine RITINOS. Dry wine essentially means that during the process of vinification the alcoholic fermentation completely absorbs the sugar content of the must and turns it into alcohol.

Our two rose wines FOKIANOS and RITINOS have been particularly praised by those who happened to taste them. Unfortunately their production falls significantly short of demand. These two wines are grown in two seaside areas - around Kokkari and near Heraion - so that, as a result of the vineyards being sacrificed to tourism, their cultivation is diminishing at an alarming rate. Hence these two delectable rose wines are becoming rare, in particular RITINOS, implying that its faithful supporters must display great tenacity of purpose in order to find them.

The Union of Wine Producing Cooperatives of Samos believes that, in order to produce good wine of any variety, or price, it is not enough to rely on favourable natural resources and human endeavor. Tradition, dedication and experience are indispensible ingredients which the specialists contribute to the production of such a fine and selected product.

Wine, like music, communicates with every human being offering him exquisite pleasure and good company. Each sip is aromatic, velvety, or refreshing. There is a sense of measure and harmony, of nature and science coinciding with the fundamental concepts of Pythagoras the Samian. According to local tradition, the philosopher had a cup made to enable him to drink wine with measure. A line inside the cup marked the level up to which it should be filled. A drop in excess and the entire content flowed from a secret hole at the base of the cup. However, disregarding the pythagorian measure, Lord Byron exclaims in his lyrical masterpiece " Don Juan " : " Fill high the cup with Samian wine ".