1. Home
  2. Tim Lemke

Tim Lemke

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

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, […]

Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut – Quite a Bargain

When it comes to cheap sparkling wines, Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut is an easy, go-to wine.  If you’ve shopped for sparklers very often I’m sure you’ve seen this distinguishable black bottle on the shelf — and perhaps you’ve wondered if it’s any good.  It’s not bad at all and for the price it’s pretty awesome. […]

Ruffino Prosecco – Cheap, Citrus-y, Fun and Delicious

Let’s continue the sparkling wine into the new year theme, but moving on from the Portuguese sparklers to an Italian prosecco. Prosecco is a great sparkling wine option for bargain hunters, as it tends to be very reasonably-priced.  One brand that I’ve found to be a reliable bargain is Ruffino.  It’s a wine that pretty […]