Blessed Samos

In the heart of viticulture on the island, two villages will stun you with their beauty…

It is easy to get lost wandering from one adventure to the next on a big island like Samos. You risk missing out on its authentic flavours and aromas. Since antiquity, Samos has been famous for winemaking and is primarilyknown today for Moscato, an aromatic variety of white that is designated a PDO (Product Designation of Origin). The vintages will win you over, but you will appreciate them more if you pay a visit to the heartland of wine production on the island: the villages of Vourliotes and Manolates. Built on the slopes of Mount Ambelos (‘Mount Vine’) and surrounded by nature, the architecturally-unique homes with colourful doors and windows and the picturesque cobbled streets have evaded the passage of time.

The region shares a likeness to Tuscany and the Mediterranean as painted by artists of the Renaissance: vineyards and fruit-laden orchards, water features and cypress trees, gardens full of vegetables, and the expanse of the azure sea. The heart of winemaking in Samos is far from the stereotypical images of life in the Greek islands. This brand of tranquility is unique to these mountains. It is a place where you can escape civilization and the hubbub of the world.

Here, the silence is palpable with intermittent sounds of meowing from cats outside of Jara, the eclectic pink and powder blue Bistro in the village square. An old-style Kafeneio, Jara pays homage to local specialities and products through freshly-squeezed juices and homemade sweets that easily rival the finest from any French patisserie: Constantinopolitan Malebi with rose and pistachio, Pavlova, Banoffee with caramel made from sheep’s-milk butter, and Kampounopita (traditional onion phyllo pastries). Dating back several generations, the venerable Jara is ahead of its time in being eco-friendly and environmentally responsible. Should you want to try local cuisine, find a table beneath the shade of climbing vines at Galazio Pigadi (blue well), a taverna painted blue and white to match the colours of summer in the Aegean. House specialities include phyllo-pastry flutes, stuffed courgettes, coq au vin, braised beef, steaks, and salads of local tomatoes and veg. However, Christos’ smile is the choicest delicacy of them all. His food will melt in your mouth – his smile will melt your heart.

TEXT : ELENI PSYHOULI | PHOTOS : REALDRONE-MANOLIS THRAVALOS  //  PERIKLES MERAKOS