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Tim Lemke

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

Kim Crawford Spitfire Sauvignon Blanc – Amazing!

I know I’ve raved about Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc before, such as here and here.  Those reviews have been about their entry-level sauvignon blanc, which I would say is one of the best bargains out there.  It’s reliably delicious and affordable.  I have some friends who refer to it as their “glass of Kim” every […]

Hardys William Hardy Shiraz – Bursting with Berries

Following up from the last review, I wanted to post a review for another tasty shiraz.  This one comes from Hardys, a family winery with 160+ years of history in South Australia. Like many wine producers, Hardys has a few different lines of wines and this one is from their William Hardy line.  This line […]

Chateau Tanunda Grand Barossa Shiraz – Full of Character

I’ll admit, I’m not a big shiraz guy.  When I was younger, I was more drawn to shiraz but in the last few years I just find them to be too jammy.  I don’t know if it’s just me or if the style of shiraz is getting more aggressive.  But I do still find some […]

Wild Horse Winery Central Coast Merlot

A few months ago, I reviewed the Wild Horse Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon and noted then how the winery was one that started small (literally in a plastic tub) and grew over time.  And like many wineries they’ve gotten to a point where they offer a few different tiers of wines.  The “Central Coast” lineup […]

Domaine Ehrhart Vieilles Vignes Riesling – Fantastic French Riesling

Alsace is on my list of wine regions I hope to visit some day.  It’s the eastern-most region of France, bordering Germany, and is culturally kind of a blend of French and German cultures.  This is one of the reasons I’m intrigued by the region.  Another reason is that they produce some incredible wines here […]

Picket Fence Cabernet Sauvignon – Dark and Delicious

This is one of those wines that I don’t have a big background story on.  It comes from Picket Fence, which is a brand in the Bronco Wine Company portfolio.  You may not have ever heard of Bronco Wine Company, but you’ve probably consumed some of their wines.  They are a giant in the bargain-priced […]

Apaltagua Signature Cabernet Sauvignon

For a number of years I’ve been a big fan of Chilean wines due to the fact that you tend to get a lot of bang for your buck with wines from Chile.  But that love of Chile is pretty much relegated to when I’m in the mood for “new world wines.”  By that I […]

Selbach Riesling Dry – Creepy Fish, Tasty Wine

I’m a big fan of a good, dry riesling.  And I’m an even bigger fan of a good, dry riesling that is bargain-priced.  This is one such wine. There are a lot of folks who buy wine based on the label… and I’d be lying if I tried to tell you that I have never […]

Campo Viejo Garnacha – Fabulously Fruity

Back in 2007, when I started this website, I drank a lot of Spanish garnacha (or grenache).  It tends to be an approachable, affordable, fruit-forward style of wine that’s easy to drink and easy to love.  It’s often not a sophisticated wine (for lack of a better word) but tends to be just kind of […]

Prix Fixe Diable Rouge – Devilishly Delicious

I first came across Spelletich wines back in 2012, when I had an opportunity to review a few of their wines and I found that they struck my fancy.  It’s a small winery in Napa Valley, California, producing only about 3,000 cases per year.  They are a winery, not a vineyard — in other words, […]