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Tim Lemke

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

Michel Chapoutier, Bila-Haut Rosé

A couple weeks ago I published a review of Michel Chapoutier, Bila-Haut Cotes du Roussillon Villages, at wine that absolutely blew me away by how awesome it is.  So I had to post a review of another wine from the Bila-Haut line, their rosé. This rosé comes from the Languedoc-Roussillon area in France.  And while many […]

Four Vines Biker Zinfandel – Aggressively Awesome!

I first discovered Four Vines back in 2008 at the Cincinnati International Wine Festival.  Well, I discovered them in the same sense that Columbus discovered America.  They were already around and doing quite well, I just happened to become aware of them then. And once I discovered Four Vines I became a big fan!  Their zinfandel […]

Ravenswood Besieged – Dark and Mysterious

It’s only September and I’m already seeing Christmas junk on display in stores.  Have they forgotten about Halloween?  It’s one of my favorite holidays, although I haven’t taken the time to celebrate it much in the past few years.  Plus a lot folks say that I’m too old for Halloween. I think Halloween should be […]

Michel Chapoutier, Bila-Haut Cotes du Roussillon Villages – Simply Awesome!

Do you ever find yourself looking over a wine list at a restaurant and you’re frustrated that you don’t know any of the wines on the list?  Despite the large number of wines I review, I too find myself in this situation.  But my solution to this problem is to order based on region rather […]

Château Lamothe de Haux, Côtes de Bordeaux – Old World Style

Last night I posted a review of Champs de Gaillard, a tasty Bordeaux for under $20 (which seems unbelievable).  And tonight I have yet another bargain-Bordeaux to share, this one from Château Lamothe de Haux. Both of these wines are on the “Today’s Bordeaux” list for 2014.  This is a list of 100 Bordeaux wines priced between […]

Champs de Gaillard Red Bordeaux Blend – A Steal!

I generally walk right past the Bordeaux section when I’m in a wine shop.  It’s not that I don’t like Bordeaux, I just don’t like paying too much for my wine.  But apparently I’ve been making a mistake and I’ve been missing out. There’s a lot of hype in the marketplace about Bordeaux.  It’s  been like […]

Affentaler Valley of the Monkey Pinot Noir – Good Wine, Freaky Bottle

When most people think of German wine they think riesling.  That’s fair… they do produce a lot of riesling and it tends to be pretty good riesling too.  Some wine aficionados will also associate Germany with other white wines, like müller-thurgau or sylvaner.  And those are also some tasty wines.  But many people never think of […]

Pennywise Pinot Noir – Worth Every Penny!

A lot of wine snobs would suggest that good + cheap pinot noir is something that just doesn’t exist.  But I disagree.  And I would suggest that those who hold this belief are just assholes. But you know who’s not an asshole?  The folks at The Other Guys wines.  They create wines that I’ve found […]

Castello Banfi Rosso di Montalcino – Balanced and Beautiful

I’m a big fan of Italian wines.  If the price of wine were no a consideration I’d be drinking Brunello di Montalcino on a regular basis.  But money is a consideration.  So fortunately, there’s Rosso di Montalcino. Both Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino are made from sangiovese grown in the vineyards surrounding the […]

Stemmari Baci Vivaci Sparkling Grillo – Light and Luscious

Late last summer I visited west Sicily to explore the Marsala wine region.  While I was there I learned about grillo, a grape that is traditionally used to make Marsala wine and is being used more and more to produce white table wines.  It’s an amazing grape, capable of producing some really interesting wines.  And […]