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Tim Lemke

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

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 […]

Filipa Pato 3B Rosé – Bubbly, Beautiful, Blissful

In my last review, I highlighted a sparkling Vinho Verde from Portugal and I’m going to continue the theme of Portuguese bubbly today with a sparkling rosé. Filipa Pato comes from a family that’s been making wine for five generations.  Rather than just working in her family’s vineyard, she set out to study winemaking in […]

Castas de Monção Brut Sparkling Vinho Verde – Yes!

Happy New Year!  And just because the New Year’s Eve party is now over is no reason to not continue drinking bubbly.  Therefore, my first review of 2014 shall be a sparkling wine. OK, I’ll cut to the chase… I love this wine: Castas de Monção, Mstodo Classico – Bruto Natural.  The idea of this wine […]

Voveti Prosecco – Peachy-Good Bargain!

In a couple days celebrators around the world will pop open a bottle of bubbly to ring in the New Year.  A number of them will drop too much coin for high-priced sparklers that, although they can be great, many wine drinkers won’t even be able to tell the difference between them and a much […]

Segura Viudas Aria Estate Brut Cava – Complex and Elegant

‘Tis the season of celebrations and the time of year when people are more likely to be thinking about sparkling wines than other times of year.  Although I’m an advocate of celebrations anytime of year and of enjoying sparkling wine with or without a celebration. And I don’t think I’m the only one with this […]