Ojaleshi
How to say it
Georgia's most aromatic indigenous red, grown on trees in Samegrelo and celebrated since a gold medal at the 1912 Paris Agricultural Exhibition.
Ojaleshi is a late-ripening Georgian red grape native to Samegrelo, prized for violet, wild strawberry, and spice aromas. Traditionally trained to grow on tall trees using the maghlari method, it produces intensely perfumed wines with natural sweetness balanced by lively acidity. Once nearly extinct, the variety has been successfully revived by modern Georgian producers.
- Name translates to 'grown on a tree' in the Megrelian dialect, referencing the traditional maghlari vine-training method
- Late-ripening variety with a vegetation period of 245 days, ripening in mid-November in mountainous Samegrelo
- Reaches sugar content of 23-24% and acidity of 8.5-9% at harvest
- Small, thick-skinned, deep purple berries with low yields
- Fermentation traditionally arrested naturally by dropping temperatures, leaving 20-40 g/L residual sugar
- Salkhino Ojaleshi was awarded a gold medal at the 1912 Paris Agricultural Exhibition
- Grown across Samegrelo, Lechkhumi, and Adjara at elevations up to 600 metres
Origins and History
Ojaleshi is native to Samegrelo in western Georgia, where it has been cultivated for centuries along the Enguri and Tskhenistskali rivers. French orientalist Marie Brosset mentioned the variety favorably in 1848, and by the 19th century it was being developed under Prince Achille Murat. The Salkhino Ojaleshi earned a gold medal at the 1912 Paris Agricultural Exhibition, marking its international recognition. The variety later fell close to extinction before a determined revival by Georgian producers in modern times.
- Native to Samegrelo in western Georgia
- Favorably documented by French orientalist Marie Brosset in 1848
- Gold medal at the 1912 Paris Agricultural Exhibition for Salkhino Ojaleshi
- Nearly extinct before modern revival
Viticulture and Growing Conditions
Ojaleshi thrives on elevated slopes with strong drainage and sunlight exposure across Samegrelo, Lechkhumi, and Adjara. The humid subtropical climate brings high rainfall and mild winters, while clay and loam soils provide both drainage and moisture retention. The traditional maghlari system trains vines to grow on tall trees or stakes, a practice that gives the grape its name. The variety is a late-ripener with a 245-day vegetation period, reaching full maturity only in mid-November at mountain sites around 600 metres elevation.
- Clay and loam soils with good drainage and moisture retention
- Humid subtropical climate with high rainfall
- Traditional maghlari training on tall trees or stakes
- Low-yielding variety ripening in mid-November in mountain areas
Winemaking Styles
Ojaleshi is most commonly vinified as a semi-sweet red wine. Traditional production uses closed vessels or clay jars with native yeast, and fermentation is often arrested naturally when temperatures drop in late autumn, leaving 20-40 g/L of residual sugar. Increasingly, winemakers in Lechkhumi and Adjara are producing dry reds and rosés from the variety. Qvevri and amphora-style reds are also produced, reflecting Georgia's ancient winemaking traditions.
- Most commonly made semi-sweet with 20-40 g/L residual sugar
- Fermentation naturally arrested by autumn temperature drops
- Dry reds and rosés increasingly produced in Lechkhumi and Adjara
- Qvevri and amphora styles reflect Georgian winemaking heritage
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Train your palate →Flavor Profile and Character
Ojaleshi produces deeply colored wines with light to medium body and moderate tannins. The perfume is intensely aromatic, with violet, wild strawberry, blackberry, rose, and black tea on the nose alongside notes of clove and spice. On the palate, raspberry, cherry, and redcurrant flavors appear with hints of white pepper, herbs, and spice. The natural sweetness is balanced by lively acidity, and the wines carry a character with similarities to Muscat or Cabernet Franc while remaining distinctly Georgian.
- Aromas of violet, wild strawberry, blackberry, rose, black tea, and clove
- Flavors of raspberry, cherry, redcurrant with white pepper and spice
- Light to medium body with moderate tannins and lively acidity
- Character reminiscent of Muscat or Cabernet Franc, yet uniquely Georgian
Intensely aromatic with violet, wild strawberry, blackberry, rose, and clove on the nose. The palate delivers raspberry, cherry, and redcurrant with hints of white pepper, herbs, and spice. Light to medium body, moderate tannins, and lively acidity balance the natural sweetness.
- Teliani Valley Ojaleshi$12-18Accessible semi-sweet style showcasing Ojaleshi's classic violet, wild strawberry, and spice character.Find →
- Obene Winery Ojaleshi$22-35Crafted from elevated Samegrelo slopes, delivering perfumed aromatics and balanced natural sweetness.Find →
- Natenadze's Wine Cellar Ojaleshi$25-40Traditional qvevri production using native yeast; a textbook example of Georgian heritage winemaking.Find →
- Makharebeli Wines Ojaleshi$50-70Small-production, low-yield Ojaleshi from clay-loam slopes with deep colour and complex spice notes.Find →
- Ojaleshi is a native Megrelian red grape with a 245-day vegetation period, ripening in mid-November at mountain elevations
- Traditional maghlari training grows vines on tall trees; the name translates to 'grown on a tree' in Megrelian
- Harvest parameters: 23-24% sugar content and 8.5-9% acidity
- Semi-sweet style produced by naturally arrested fermentation, leaving 20-40 g/L residual sugar in closed vessels or qvevri
- Salkhino Ojaleshi won a gold medal at the 1912 Paris Agricultural Exhibition; variety was close to extinction before modern revival