A bottle of Monastic Ojaleshi

We were surprised at a comparison of Ojaleshi as the Rolls Royce of Georgian wines where Saperavi is just a Volkswagon. Were the monks from Dadiani Old Cellars poking fun at the monks producing Saparevi from Alveredi Monastery? Actually after some reflection the analogy has validity from a purely financial point of view.

There are very few bottles of Ojaleshi produced just like there are very few Rolls Royces produced. Saparevi is the most widely produced red wine in Georgia, making it like a Volkswagon. The scarcity of Ojaleshi makes it more costly to grow, make wine, market and sell. A bottle sold in the United States would cost over $100. Qvevri-made Separavi is a fraction of the price of Ojaleshi. The analogy works from the financial supply and demand point of view.

However, if you take other factors into account such as, aroma, taste, alcohol, tannins etc. the analogy breaks down. There are people that will prefer one over the other. One who likes Saperavi could argue that they can purchase several bottles of Saperavi for the same price as one bottle of Ojaleshi. The analogy becomes one of personal likes and dislikes. But I still wonder if the analogy was meant to be gentle teasing. There was a sparkle in the eyes of the monk that said. “Ojaleshi is a Rolls Royce and Saperavi is a Volkswagon.”

Cheers,
Terry