History and culture
Explore the history and culture of Samian Wine
The Samian wine in Literature
The wine of Samos is often mentioned in Greek literature as well as in books by modern European writers, such as the widely read Marguerite Yoursenaard: “Wine introduces us to the volcanic mysteries of the soil, to the hidden mineral riches: A midday cup of Samio wine under the sun, or a winter evening when one is in a state of fatigue, allows one to immediately feel in the diaphragm, the warm flow of it, the sour and hot spread along our arteries..
Samian wine in Mythology
The proud Amazons made the mistake of refusing his worship, and to avoid his wrath, they fled to the dense vegetation of Samos. Dionysus asked for the help of the Samians to defeat them. The son of Zeus and Semele, Dionysos, with the help of the island’s inhabitants, managed to defeat the proud warriors and, as a sign of retribution, gave the Samians the vine that produces “White Muscat”, the delicious, golden grape with the small grapes .
Samian Wine in Poetry
“Wine is bottled poetry” wrote Robert Louis Stevenson. And this kind of “poetry” from rural Samos has its own name: Samian wines of the “White Muscat Samos” variety, with distinct aromas, diverse flavors, fruity touches and a well-hidden but intensely enjoyable aftertaste.
Proverbs and sayings about the Vine of Samos
Proverbs that are still used today have been recorded in Nik’s “Folklore of Samos”. Dimitriou. These are indicative of the special linguistic tradition of Samos which is inextricably related to the vineyard and the Samian Muscat wine, as it has passed into everyday expression.
Samian wine and the local dialect
There are living, in Samos, linguistic expressions and words, which are related to viticulture and the Samian Muscat wine. Special words describe the type of soil (asprouplies, balkamia), the cultivation operations (argologima), the plant diseases (sinapidi),
The establishment of UWC of Samos
In Samos until 1934, the vinification and trade of wine was done by merchants, who bought the must from the winegrowers and vinified it in their wineries, the so-called taverns, also setting the prices. However, because there was a strong phenomenon of the exploitation of the winegrowers, the Union of Wine Cooperatives of Samos (UWC) was established with the Compulsory Law 6085/1934,
The history of Samian wine
The history of Samian wine dates back to ancient times. According to a legend, Agaios, hero of the Argonautic Expedition who also reigned on the island of Samos, studied and taught the way in which the inhabitants of the island cultivated the vine.
Samian wine and the Catholic Church of Samos
The Catholic Community of Samos, before the creation of the “Union of Wine Cooperatives of Samos” and the (then forced) vinification and marketing of the product through it, had the role of supplier and distributor of sweet wine for the needs of the Catholic Church in Italy, Africa and elsewhere .
Samian Wine and the Household Economy
The cultivation of the vine has been, for the inhabitants of Samos, for many centuries the main support of the household economy.Even today, the productive and fruitful vine yields many and important products: from its grapes, mustos, wine, ouzo and tsipouro (called in the Samian dialect “summa”) as well as vinegar are successively produced.Muscat grapes are also edible, and in the past, they were also made into a raisin.
Samian wine and Orthodox church
For centuries, Samos has been producing quality Samian wine for the Holy Assumption, supplying most Metropolises in the country and abroad.In the archives of the Cooperative there are letters with praise reviews from the Primates of the Orthodox church. But apart from the production of wine, the Orthodox religious tradition and faith are fermented with the very cultivation of Moscato in Samos.