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Tim Lemke

Tim is the founder and chief reviewer at Cheap Wine Ratings since 2007.

Schloss Schönborn Riesling Trocken – Dry & Delicious

Today is Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. But it’s still plenty hot outside here and that’s fabulous weather to enjoy riesling. Who am I kidding? I enjoy riesling in all seasons and all weather. One of the most common misconceptions about riesling I hear is that it’s too sweet. These are comments from someone […]

Santa Carolina, Reserva de Familia, Carmenère – Spicy and Good

I love the story of carmenère, the lost grape of Bordeaux rediscovered in Chile after it was thought to have disappeared from our planet. When I first heard about it, I was entranced by the magical story and wanted to celebrate this grape and make it one of my staple wines. But not long after […]

Pennywise Chardonnay – Fantastic

Anyone who’s been a reader here for long knows that I’m not a huge chardonnay fan. As a result, I’m probably unfairly harsh when evaluating a chardonnay. And so, when I find one that I like I have to give it respect. This is one of those cases. This one is produced by The Other Guys […]

Blanc de Bleu, Cuvée Mousseux – Sparkling Blue Wine

Wait, what!?!? A sparkling blue wine? That can’t be wine, can it? It must be horrible. Did they add food dye? Who buys this stuff? I wonder if it’s any good? Is it totally sweet? Is this a joke? Am I a fool for wanting to review this? Those are some of the thoughts that […]

Leese-Fitch, Pinot Noir – Tasty

I’ve been coming across more and more wines from The Other Guys brands lately. Leese-Fitch is one of those brands. While the family behind The Other Guys has a long history in the wine business, the company as it exists now really only goes back to 2009 — so they’re still in their infancy and […]

Trivento Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – Great value

The grand majority of Argentine red wines I’ve consumed have been malbec and somtimes bonarda. I was happy to try something different from Argentina — even if a cabernet sauvignon is not all that “different” of a wine. A little bit of a side note before I continue about the wine… Every time I drink any […]

Peter Zemmer, Pinot Grigio – Spectacular

In norther Italy, just south of Austria, lies a wine-growing region called Alto Adige — which I consider one of the best regions in the world for pinot grigio and pinot bianco (but that’s not the extent of the good wines to come from this region). It’s also one of the most beautiful places on earth. It’s […]

Santa Carolina Reserva de Familia, Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine makes me a fan of Chilean cabernet sauvignon again. A number of years ago I was nuts over Chilean cabernet sauvignon, but then I started to avoid it after encountering a number of them with a funky mint aroma that was distracting. A slight mint aroma can be a good thing, but too often […]

Viña Casablanca, Nimbus Single Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc

When it comes to sauvignon blanc, I have two top regions I gravitate towards, New Zealand and Chile. And even more specifically pertaining to Chilean sauvignon blanc, I love them from the Casablanca Valley. Historically, the reason I’ve had this preference is the intense tropical fruit aromas and flavors that are often found in sauvignon […]

Nik Weis Selection Urban Riesling – A Tasty Bargain

In my book, summertime = riesling time. Of course that doesn’t prevent me from drinking riesling at other times of the year, but it seems to hit the spot even more in the summer. The cool, crisp flavors along with the citrus, floral and wet stone aromas are perfect for cooling down on a hot […]