Karlovasi – Konteika – Ydroussa Wine Route
It starts in the seafront zone of the city of Karlovasi. Visitors can see the always wavy beach where wine-growers used to wash their kofinia at the end of the vintage, the modernised Wine Making facilities of the Cooperative, the new tsipouro production installations that use muscat grapes, the kava (cellar) with the wine-related exhibits, the neoclassical buildings of figures related to the history of Samos wine, the Customs House, and the ‘chair’ of poet Yannis Ritsos, who has sung the praises of Romiosini (Greekness) and Samos wine with his poems.
Karlovasi – Konteika – Ydroussa Wine Route
Just outside Karlovasi, on the way to the enchanting village of Ydroussa, visitors can take in the vineyards, see the stafylodochoi and the cooperative building, make a stop at the chapel of Saint Tryphon, and enjoy the wonderful view and cool temperature in the small square of the picturesque village. From there, on the way down to Karlovasi, there are many spots where you can stop for a panoramic view of the city.
Karlovasi Customs
In the late 19th century, during the era of the Principality of Samos, construction started on Karlovasi port, two kilometres from Neo Karlovasi. Its location was selected by powerful political figure Ioannis Chatzigiannis. The Customs inside Karlovasi port was established and started operating then, controlling all exports and loading of Samos wine from the broader region. It is no accident that the wine trade flourished in Karlovasi and that the major Wine Trading Families had privately owned wine warehouses (stone tavernes).
UWC Samos Winery, Karlovasi
The central Winery of UWC Samos is located in Karlovasi on Konstantinou Kanari Street. The Winery has modern facilities as regards engineering equipment, delivery, vinification, ageing, and bottling lines.
Near the main buildings of the Winery, in a space privately owned by UWC Samos, a Muscat marc distillery is being created for making tsipouro. After the completion of the works and the installation of the distilling machinery, a space will also be created for tastings.
Washing kofinia in the seafront zone of Karlovasi
Baskets and kofinia have always been very important in the cultivation and harvest of Samos wine. In Samos, at the end of every vintage, after weighing and delivering the grapes, vine-growers made sure to wash them in the sea. They never neglected this process and did it very carefully, to get rid of the dry grapes that were stuck between the slats and any grape juices. The salt that dried on the vitex limbs stops the development of any microorganisms and insects, so the kofinia lasted longer. Karlovasi beach was one of their favourite areas to do this.
Nopera Winery
Nopera Winery of the Nikolaos Mytilineos family is located in the Karlovasi, on a small diversion along Gorgyra Street (take a right at Eurobank). You can visit after making a booking.
It has three privately owned organic vineyards covering an area of 4 hectares in different areas of Samos and the family’s history starts with its resettlement (in the mid 19th century) from Malta to Samos.
Using sustainable vinification methods, ‘Nopera Boutique Winery’ produces a variety of Samos wine labels.
Yannis Ritsos’ Chair – Karlovasi
Great Greek poet Yannis Ritsos spent his most productive years, as far as his poetry goes, in exile during the dictatorship, in Karlovasi, Samos. His wife, Garyfalio Georgiadou was from Samos. His collection ‘The Negatives of Silence’ was written in Karlovasi in 1987. He uses flattering words in reference to Samos wine in many of his poems.
Neoclassical houses of Georgios Chatzidimitriou in Karlovasi
The descendant of one of the great families of Karlovasi, Georgios Chatzidimitriou was an attorney, a cooperative member, and the representative of UWC Samos at PASEGES (Pan-Hellenic Confederation of Unions of Agricultural Cooperatives). Georgios Chatzidimitriou studied in France and was very erudite, he served cooperative ideals, and he aimed at more broadly promoting Samos wines in France and the Netherlands.
Home of the agriculturalist of the Principality Ar. Mantafounis, Karlovasi
The home of Ar. Mantafounis (Agriculturalist and Supervisor of Agriculture and Forests of the Principality of Samos) is located near Valaskatzis central square in Karlovasi. Visitors can get there on foot from the square in the upper side of West Samos Town Hall, if they follow the alley to the right. The neoclassical two-storey building with its unique architecture and garden is now being used by the University of the Aegean.
Panoramic view of Karlovasi
Descending from Ydroussa one can take in the panoramic view of all of Karlovasi from various points along the way. Karlovasi itself is located in the north-western section of the island, 32 kilometres from the city of Samos, 36 kilometres from Pythagoreio, and 13 kilometres from Marathokampos.
Kostaki Winery
Kostaki Winery winery is located just 600 metres from Vakakis Winery. It is the “youngest” winery on Samos, with its first vintage in 2023. Kostaki Winery emphasises small grain muscat (both black and white), which will produce different wines. The grapes come exclusively from its privately owned organic vineyards.
Kostaki Winery has a modern architectural style and is open to visitors, after making a booking. There you can take in the wonderful view of lush western Samos, while tasting Samos wines.
Vakakis Winery
Vakakis Winery is located in the area of M. Lakka, Konteika. The area is 4 kilometres from Karlovasi, taking the Kalrovasi-Platanos rural road that passes through Konteika village. Visitors to the winery can see the enormous wine vats, as that is where delivery, vinification, and bottling of Samos wines takes place, as well as the organic linear vineyards where Samos Muscat, Assyrtiko, Fokiano, and Avgoustiatis are cultivated, along with Samos Black Muscat, variety that had been lost for a long time.
Saint Tryphon, Ydroussa
Saint Tryphon the healer is considered the patron of vine-growers and farmers. Samos, as a wine destination par excellance, has several churches and chapels in honour of Saint Tryphon (Agios Tryphonas) in many areas, such as Ydroussa, Karlovasi, the Drosia area in Paleokastro, and elsewhere.
Ano Ydrousses Stafylodochos
This is a raised stone tank with a cement structural reinforcement. This is where the wine grapes of the island’s vine-growers were brought, transported from their vineyards by animals loaded with kofinia. Nowadays, there are abandoned stafylodochoi all over the island, and they are often encountered when touring wine producing villages and points of wine interest from an era when wine making was the main profession for making a living.
Ydroussa Stafylodochos
In winemaking villages such as Ydroussa there were more than one stafylodochoi, in order to serve the large production of the area. During the peak era of vine-growking, they were spotless, whitewashed, with staff on standby and equipment in place, everyone waiting for the grape harvest (the maxouli, as the locals called it).
Stafylodochos in the Vlachates area, Ydrousses
On the way up the asphalt road to the picturesque village of Ydroussa, in the Vlachates area, visitors will see the abandoned stafylodochos, which was the olderst Samos wine delivery system that served the vine-growers of the region until the 1980s.
Ydroussa Cooperative
The building of the Ydroussa Cooperative which served the region’s vine-growers ceased operating in 2016 when the obligation law was lifted. It is well preserved, as it has been provided to the area’s Fire Department team.
Ydroussa Vineyards
Heading east from Karlovasi, approximately 8.5 kilometres away, visitors will come to the uphill twisting asphalt road that leads to the picturesque village of Ydroussa. The route passes through muscat vineyards and beautiful farm houses. Ydroussa is a village with a tradition in vine-growing.
Evgenikos Vineyard, Ydroussa
Before entering Ydroussa village, heading south on a narrow dirt road towards the area locals call Katsouli, visitors will arrive at an area full of vineyards. There, besides the emblematic rugged landscape of Mt Ampelos, one can admire the muscat grape vineyard of one of the youngest vine-growers on Samos, Manolis Evgenikos. The vineyard grows the finest muscat grape and is cultivated by hand. It is located at an altitude of 220 metres.
