By the Samos-Island.com editorial team · · How we work
Short answer
Two winery visits on Samos meet our bar of at least 4.5 stars and 10 reviews: a tasting of five organic wines at Kostaki Winery near Karlovasi, and a guided tour with four wines at Vakakis Winery. Samos wine is mostly Muscat Blanc à petits grains. Kostaki needs a car or taxi, while Vakakis includes transport.
Samos is known for muscat, and a winery visit is one of the few excursions on the island that fits into a single morning or evening. There are fewer choices than for boat trips: in the listings we read, only two winery tastings pass a published bar, and a few other tours include a wine stop.
This page ranks those two, compares them on practical points (access, format, audience), explains what makes Samos wine distinctive and gives planning advice. We are an independent guide funded by affiliate links (GetYourGuide, marked as sponsored), and we have not visited these wineries. Read the editorial standards for how we work.
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What are the best wine tastings in Samos?
Both visits below meet the bar. They are shown in the order given by our scoring formula, calculated from the data, and each card summarises what the listing says, not what we experienced.
#1Samos: Wine Tasting at Kostaki Organic Winery
- 4.73 (12 reviews)
- 1 hour
- From US$23 per person
Ranking score 4.59: rating adjusted for the number of reviews.
Why it ranks here: A guided tasting of five organic artisan wines made from Muscat à petits grains, with small bites, in a modern winery on the west side of the island. The listing highlights a view over west Samos and the sunset, which makes it an evening option rather than a museum-style visit.
Best for: Travellers with a car or a taxi who want a small-group tasting focused on organic muscat with a view.
Check availabilityWhat you get
- Guided tasting of five organic artisan wines
- Small bites
- View over west Samos and the sunset
- Small group
Keep in mind
- Reachable only by car or taxi: the listing says there is no public transport in the area
- The winery is about 10 minutes by car south of Karlovasi; parking is along the road, then about 70 metres on foot through the vineyard
- The tasting room is upstairs (a few steps); the ground floor can be arranged on request
- Bring a light jacket for the evening
- Not suitable for pregnant women or under-18s; a taxi is not included, but the organiser can help
#2Samos Guided Winery Tour & Authentic Wine Tasting Experience
- 4.58 (12 reviews)
- 1 hour
- From US$17 per person
Ranking score 4.53: rating adjusted for the number of reviews.
Why it ranks here: A private-group visit at Vakakis Winery that starts with a guided look at the traditional stone hut called the patitiri, explains winemaking and grape varieties and finishes with four wines and local bites, hosted by the Vakakis family. Transport to the winery is included, according to the listing.
Best for: Travellers without a car, and anyone who wants to understand how the wine is made rather than only taste it.
Check availabilityWhat you get
- Guided visit of the traditional stone hut (patitiri)
- Explanation of winemaking and grape varieties
- Tasting of four wines
- Local bites
- Transport to the winery, as stated on the listing
Keep in mind
- Tastings are by appointment, so book before you rely on a slot
- The visit is a private group, which suits your own party rather than meeting other travellers
- Not suitable for under-18s
- Confirm the pick-up point and time with the operator after booking
Ratings, review counts and prices were read on 20 September 2026. They change, so check the live listing before booking.
How did we rank them?
We read the Samos tours on the GetYourGuide Samos page on 20 September 2026. A tour is ranked only if it is rated at least 4.5 out of 5 and has at least 10 reviews. Ranked tours are ordered by a Bayesian average, score = (v × R + 20 × 4.5) / (v + 20), with R the rating and v the number of reviews, so a perfect score on 3 reviews (about 4.57) does not beat 4.74 on 88 reviews (about 4.70).
Both tastings have a small review count, so the gap between them is narrow and could change within weeks. The ranking does not measure the quality of the wine, the hospitality or the season, because we did not attend. Read recent reviews on the listing before you book. Links are affiliate links (a commission on booking at no extra cost to you), and nobody pays for a position. Our complete method is on the best tours in Samos page.
What makes Samos wine different?
Samos wine is mostly one grape. The Samos winemakers' cooperative states that the White Muscat of Samos (Muscat Blanc à petits grains, called "moschoudi" locally) makes up 98 percent of the island's vineyards, with a few red varieties for the rest. Wikipedia notes that nearly all the most notable sweet Muscats of Greece, particularly those from Samos, are made from this variety.
The vines grow on dry stone terraces on semi-mountainous and mountainous slopes, at altitudes up to 1,000 metres in the higher vineyard zones, according to the cooperative. Samos wine has Protected Designation of Origin status. The same source describes a range of styles: sweet wines (including Vin Doux, Grand Cru and Nectar), dry whites, semi-dry wines and reds. Wikivoyage describes the sweet Samos Vin Doux as a muscat dessert wine.
The cooperative, founded in 1934, is one producer among the wineries that a visitor can meet. The two tastings above are at separate estates, and we have not checked how each labels its bottles, so ask the host about style, grapes and appellation. On the island itself, the Karlovasi guide and the Mount Kerkis guide show what else fits around a tasting.
Kostaki or Vakakis: how do the two tastings compare?
| Criterion | Kostaki Organic Winery | Vakakis Winery |
|---|---|---|
| Location | West Samos, about 10 minutes by car south of Karlovasi | Not stated in the listing text we read: confirm with the operator |
| Format | Guided tasting in a modern winery, small group | Guided visit of a traditional stone hut (patitiri) and tasting, private group |
| Wines | Five organic artisan wines from Muscat à petits grains, with small bites | Four wines with local bites |
| Length | Listed as one hour; the description suggests about 1.5 hours | One hour |
| Transport | Car or taxi only; taxi not included, organiser can help | Transport to the winery included, according to the listing |
| Access on site | Parking by the road, about 70 metres on foot through the vineyard; tasting room upstairs, ground floor on request | Not stated: ask the operator |
| Audience | Not suitable for pregnant women or under-18s | Not suitable for under-18s |
| Booking | Small-group tasting booked on the listing; free cancellation up to 24 hours before as stated, to be checked on the listing | By appointment; free cancellation up to 24 hours before as stated, to be checked on the listing |
Information is taken from the listings on 20 September 2026 and can change. Confirm details with the operator.
Which other tours include wine, and why are they not ranked?
Two more tours include a wine element but do not meet the bar, and we show them for comparison only. They are not ranked because they have fewer than 10 reviews in the data we read. This is not a judgement on the experience, which we cannot assess.
| Tour | Rating | Reviews | Meets our bar | What it offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samos East: Wine Museum Tour with Tastings and Transfers | 4.60 | 7 | No | A visit to a wine museum in east Samos with tastings and transfers, small group, pick-up included |
| Samos: Full-Day Island Bus Tour (Starting from West Samos) | 4.87 | 8 | No | Full-day island bus tour from West Samos: Megali Panagia monastery, the Heraion temple, a winery visit with tasting, a pottery workshop, a family olive oil mill and lunch; hotel transfer from Karlovasi to Votsalakia; English-speaking guide at the temple and the monastery |
Neither tour meets our bar. Rating and review count are read from the listing on 20 September 2026.
Ratings, review counts and prices were read on 20 September 2026. They change, so check the live listing before booking.
How do you plan a wine tasting on Samos?
- Decide how you get there. The west coast winery needs a car or taxi. The Vakakis listing includes transport. See getting there for distances from the airport: the west side is about 45 to 60 minutes by road.
- Do not plan to drive after tasting. Book a taxi, use the included transport or nominate a driver who does not drink.
- Book ahead. Vakakis tastings are by appointment, and Kostaki is a small-group tasting, so places are limited. In July and August, do not leave it to the last day.
- Check the age limit. Both listings say under-18s are not suitable.
- Time it. The Kostaki listing highlights the sunset view and suggests a light jacket in the evening. Check the seasonal timetable on the listing.
- Combine it. The Karlovasi guide and Mount Kerkis cover things to see nearby, and the itineraries show how to fit a tasting into a day.
What should you know before buying wine?
Taste before you buy, and ask which style you are trying, because Samos makes sweet, semi-dry and dry wines. Ask whether the bottle is a PDO wine, how it should be stored and how long it keeps, especially if you plan to carry it home. We do not publish prices because they vary by producer and vintage. See is Greece expensive for general costs, and what to know before visiting Samos for practical tips.
Frequently asked questions
Muscat. The island's vineyards are mostly Muscat Blanc à petits grains, grown on dry stone terraces, and Samos wine has Protected Designation of Origin status. Sweet Samos wines are best known, but dry and semi-dry styles are also made.
Yes, with the Vakakis tasting, whose listing includes transport. The Kostaki tasting is reachable only by car or taxi, and the listing says there is no public transport in the area.
The two ranked tastings are listed as one hour each, and the Kostaki description suggests about 1.5 hours. Add travel time, since the west coast is roughly 45 to 60 minutes from the airport by road.
Yes. Vakakis tastings are by appointment, and Kostaki is a small-group tasting, so places are limited. Book ahead, especially in summer.
Both ranked listings say the tasting is not suitable for under-18s, and the Kostaki listing adds pregnant women. Check the listing for the tasting you choose.
Comfortable shoes, because the Kostaki visit involves about 70 metres on foot through the vineyard and a few steps to the tasting room, and a light jacket in the evening, as the listing advises.
Sources and further reading
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Related guides
- Best tours in SamosAll ranked Samos tours and the full method
- Best boat trips in SamosRoutes, prices and the top three boat trips
- KarlovasiThe town near the west coast winery
- Mount KerkisThe highest mountain on the island
- Getting thereAirport, ferries and getting around
- Editorial standardsHow we research and rank