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Tim Lemke

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

Calcu Rosé

Spring is definitely here, bringing warm weather with it.  And warm weather means it’s time to enjoy some tasty white and rosé wines. Rosé is far too often an overlooked wine.  This one from the Colchagua Valley region in Chile is a good one to check out if you’re ready to delve into some rosé. […]

Trivento Amado Sur Malbec

Today is Malbec World Day, which strikes me as a holiday that was manufactured by PR folks in order to generate publicity for (and consumption of) malbec.  I normally scoff at such things, but what the hell… I’ll play along. This is the third year of Malbec World Day and the youth of the “holiday” […]

Bota Box RedVolution

Boxed wines aren’t what they used to be… in a good way.  The quality of the juice found in some “bag-in-a-box” wines is much better than it once was.  And some boxed wines can be a great option for the wine lover on a budget. When it comes to boxed wines there are a couple […]

Ricardo Santos Semillon

Semillon is a varietal that is best known as being grown in France.  In fact, it’s one of three white varieties approved for use in Bordeaux.  It’s also a common grape in Sauternes.   And I think that until I tasted this wine I’ve only had French semillon.  So I was intrigued to see what Argentina could […]

Ricossa Antica Casa Moscato D’Asti

Moscato, or muscat, seems to be all the rage these days.  I’m seeing more and more of it show up in wine shops and wine lists.  And I’ve heard from some producers that demand is so high they can’t produce enough of it.  There may be a direct correlation in the reduced consumption of white […]

Robert Mondavi – Carneros, Napa Valley Pinot Noir

This wine comes in a little bit over our typical $20 limit, but I was impressed with it so I thought I’d share for those who occasionally spring a little more for their wine. This Robert Mondavi pinot noir comes from the Carneros region in California.  This is a region that is just north of […]

Errazuriz Max Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

When I was first learning about wine and first discovered Chilean wines, I thought Chile was something new on the scene.  I never would have guessed that some wineries there had been operating since the 1800’s.  I suppose the “new on the scene” perception was due to a combination of my lack of knowledge about […]

Quivira Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Spring is just around the corner and that has me thinking of sauvignon blanc.  I’ve said many times before that California generally isn’t at the top of my list of regions for sauvignon blanc.  But that perspective is changing.  I’ve had a few tasty Californian sauvignon blancs in the past year.  And this is another […]

Santa Ema Reserve Merlot

Although this is another Chilean wine, it has roots in Piedmont  Italy.  The founder, Pedro Pavone Voglino, immigrated to the Maipo Valley region of Chile from Piedmont in 1917.  For many years he grew grapes to sell to other wineries until he established Viña Santa Ema with his son.  They started marketing bottles of Santa Ema wine […]

Grove Ridge Merlot

I would guess that the Bronco Wine Company produces more of the bargain-priced wine brands you see on the shelves than any other producer.  I could be wrong, but they have a LOT of different brands.  And Grove Ridge is one of them. The story behind a wine like this isn’t going to involve a […]