Samos is a famous historical Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, just a mile off the western coast of Turkey. Its mountains are extensively planted to the Moschato Aspro grape variety, which is more commonly known as Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains. The sweet, rich wines made here from this grape are among Greece's most famous and are exported around the world.
Wine-growing in Samos dates back to antiquity, and the island's wine is mentioned in the texts of famous writers during the 5th Century BC. However, Samos's most famous viticultural period was during the 19th Century, when the phylloxera louse wiped out most vineyard land in Europe. With no French or Italian wine available, Europeans began to look to the sweet Muscats of the Greek islands, and in particular Samos. It was during this time that the island was bestowed with the honor of making Holy Communion wine.
Since 1934, much of the island's wine has been produced by the Samos Co-operative, which is widely credited with developing the style of wine that Samos is today famous for. Wines bearing the name 'Samos' must be produced from 100% Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains and be made either as a vin doux naturel or from sun-drying the grapes, a natural process which concentrates the sugars in the berries.
Samos is roughly 30 miles (45km) from east to west, and like many of the Aegean islands, has several distinctive mountain formations that run across the island. Most viticulture takes place on the northern slopes of the central Mount Ampelos. Here, the vines are protected from warm southerly winds, and altitudes that reach as high as 2900ft (900m) above sea level help to temper the warm Mediterranean climate. A considerable difference between day- and night-time temperatures in these mountain vineyards slows ripening, leading to the development of aroma and character along with acidity.
The stony mountainside terraces that the vines are planted on are well suited to premium viticulture. Dry, nutrient-deficient soils stress the plants, and the excellent natural drainage brought about by the steep slopes of the vineyards encourages deep root growth to reach hydration lower in the ground. As a result, the vines put less energy into the production of leafy foliage, saving it instead for the production of small berries with highly concentrated flavors and sugars – perfect for the production of wine.
