A Melmar wine flight with Nike

Standing on the veranda overlooking Melmar Winery's vineyard and olive grove made our #winelover journey to Samothrace Island (Σαμοθράκη) well worth it. For not only did we visit the island, but also we tasted wines, and ate lunch at Melmar Winery (Οινοποιείο ΜΕΛΜΑΡ). Perhaps you have heard of the island's most famous site, the Sanctuary of the Great Gods. It is here that the famous artifact, a marble statue of Nike was found. Nike of Samothrace, or Winged Victory of Samothrace is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of antiquity. In 1863 it was discovered in pieces by the French archaeologist Charles Champoiseau. The sculpture is now displayed above the Daru staircase in the Louvre, Paris.

Melmar Winery, Samothrace © Spaswinefood

Earlier we boarded the ferry in Alexandroupoli for the 2.5 hour journey to the island. After landing in Kamariotissa it was a short ride across the island to the winery. When we arrived at the winery the views were stunning, and so peaceful. It was easy for this Spaswinefood enthusiast to envision Nike flying over this beautiful island.

Ready for Melmar Wines, Samothrace © Spaswinefood

Melmar Winery, Samothrace

We had come to visit Melmar Winey, a very young winery that was founded in 2013. The winery is located near Dafnes. Their wines are made using both native and international grape varieties. The vineyards at Melmar are still quite young; so they are making their wines with grapes from the mainland. The goal is to transition into grapes grown on their estate. The winery use modern winemaking methods while respecting traditional wine practices. Melmar wines meet the certification requirements for the Protected Geographical Indication of Thrace (PGI). The international grape varieties include Chardonnay, Syrah and Merlot, with the Greek varieties being Muscat, Malagouzia, Assyrtiko, and other Greek varieties.

Welcome, Melmar Winery © Spaswinefood

Upon arrival, after we were greeted by the winemaker and manager, we toured the winery.

George Grammatikas, Winemaker © Spaswinefood

We soon discovered that Melmar is a modern winery with state of the art equipment. After we viewed the underground cellar we headed back upstairs for a wine tasting.

Melmar Winery Cellar © Spaswinefood

#Winelovers, Melmar Winery Cellar © Spaswinefood

Melmar Wines
There on the veranda overlooking Melmar's vineyard and olive grove, with beautiful views in all directions, we were introduced to the wines. 

Preparing for Wine Tasting, Melmar Winery © Spaswinefood

Glasses Ready, Melmar Winery © Spaswinefood

It was a beautiful setting for wine tasting.

TU Event at Melmar Winery © Spaswinefood

Let's just a peek at the wines I tasted. These included the following:

White Wines

Melmar Winery, Assyrtiko 2016

Melmar Winery, Assyrtiko 2016 © Spaswinefood

Melmar Winery, Malagouzia 2016

Melmar Winery, Malagouzia 2016 © Spaswinefood

Rosé Wine

Melmar Winery, Rosé 2015

Melmar Winery, Rosé 2015 © Spaswinefood

Red Wines

Melmar Winery, Syrah-Melot 2014

Melmar Winery, Syrah-Melot 2014 © Spaswinefood

Melmar Winery, Merlot-Syrah 2015 

Melmar Winery, Merlot-Syrah 2015 © Spaswinefood

Melmar Winery, Syrah 2014

Melmar Winery, Syrah 2014 © Spaswinefood

It was a very delightful tasting at this young winery. It is not everyday that I get to taste wines with #winelover friends from all over the world. For example, this trip included four #winelovers from Brazil.

#Winelover, Melmar Winery © Spaswinefood

After the wine tasting lunch was then served inside.

Lunch at Melmar Winery

Lunch, Melmar Winery © Spaswinefood

Lunch stated with bread and appetizers. I must say feta cheese never tastes as good as it does in Greece. In most cases feta is served with olive oil and spices.

Feta Cheese and Bread, Melmar Winery © Spaswinefood

The salads are equally as amazing because of the high quality of olive oil.

Salad, Melmar Winery © Spaswinefood

Our main course was stuffed goat. 

Rice Stuffing, Melmar Winery © Spaswinefood

Goat Meat, Melmar Winery © Spaswinefood   

In Samothrace, amongst the traditional dishes to try, is oven baked goat. It is stuffed with rice, chicken livers and herbs, and the quality of the meat is excellent. The goats are free ranging and wander freely around the island. An important factor to note is that the goat population on the island is estimated around 100, 000. In fact the goat population outnumbers the inhabitants, with a ratio of about 33 goats to every person. 

There was a spoon desert and local cheeses at the end. This is a popular way to end a meal in Greece.

Desert, Melmar Winery © Spaswinefood

Local Cheeses, Melmar Winery © Spaswinefood

Indeed having lunch at Melmar Winery, the only winery on the island, was special. Such a unique dining experience with local cuisine and wines is hard to beat. I drank my favorite Melmar wines with lunch. I particularly liked their Assyrtiko and Malagouzia wines.

Apart from the natural beauty of Samothrace it is an ideal place for a rural retreat in the land of Nike. After an awesome day we took the ferry back to Alexandroupoli. Yes, our #winelover adventure in Thrace took me on a trip on the Aegean Sea.

Alexandroupoli, Thrace © Spaswinefood

I left Samothrace knowing that there would be a Greek wine goddess/god calling me to taste Greek wines or visit a vineyard soon.  Spaswinefood is looking forward to more wine country adventures along the Greek Wine Trails and Waterways. I invite you to heck out my travels in Greece and elsewhere at Spaswinefood. 

Sharon

May 2017

Alexandroupoli, Greece

© Spaswinefood

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Melmar Winery, Samothrace © Spaswinefood

Special thanks to  Touratzis Umami (#TUevents) for its excellent organization of our #winelover adventures in Thrace #SeeYouInThrace 
#SeeYouInGreece #Yamas

Note: For further information on Greek grapes and wine regions see all about Greek wine.