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Tim Lemke

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

Freixenet Cordon Rosado Brut

It’s time to talk about more pink bubbly stuff.  Wine, that is.  Cava, to be more specific. Yesterday, we highlighted a unique rosé cava from Freixenet, their Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut.  But if you’re looking for an even better bargain, then it may be the Freixenet Cordon Rosado Brut that piques your interest.  It’s a […]

Freixenet Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut

Freixenet is a pretty big name in the bubbly wine aisle as they are a pretty reliable brand for tasty-yet-affordable sparkling wines.  They are known for their cava, which in simple terms is Spanish sparkling wine made in the traditional champenoise method… yes, there are more specifics to cava, but let’s keep it simple for […]

Mumm Napa Brut Rosé

Some guys might say it’s not too masculine to drink sparkling wine.  Some might say it’s not too masculine to drink rosé, or “pink” wine.  Well, I’m going to throw all caution to the wind and drink a wine that’s both pink and sparkling… and I’ll admit that I love every sip of it! Mumm […]

SPELLwine Napa Valley Syrah

Last week I reviewed the SPELLwine sangiovese and this week we’re checking out their syrah. I admit it.  I have a prejudice against Californian syrah.  I’ve had far too much of it that is over-extracted, syrupy sweet and too overpowering to pair with anything I eat.  It’s not the grape’s fault.  I’ve had plenty of […]

Quinta Cruz Pierce Ranch Tempranillo

While I love a bargain on wines, I get bored with factory-made wines that while not offensive just have no excitement to them.  So many wines on the market today are manipulated in an attempt to “standardize” the flavor.  And it’s not just the cheap ones.  A lot of this is done in order to […]

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Meritage

I can’t help but wonder how meaningful the “Meritage” name is to wine consumers.  I mean, I don’t hear many people saying, “I’d like a glass of Meritage.”  I suspect a lot of consumers don’t even know what it is.  In essence, Meritage is a name for Bordeaux-style wine that’s made somewhere other than Bordeaux. […]

SPELLwine Sangiovese

I’m a big fan of sangiovese, but most of the time if I’m drinking a sangiovese it’s one from Italy.  I just don’t come across a lot of domestic sangiovese, but I’m always curious about it when I do.  Perhaps I don’t come across much of it because the market is just too small for […]

Jacob’s Creek Coonawarra Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

The Jacob’s Creek wine brand started back in 1976 and was named after a creek in the Barossa Valley, on the banks of which the first commercial vineyard in the region was planted.  The grapes in this wine, however, don’t come from the Barossa Valley.  Rather, they come from the Coonawarra region, which is south […]

Huntington Sauvignon Blanc

Huntington is a label that is part of the Hahn family’s portfolio of wines, which includes Hahn Winery, Cycles Gladiator, Hahn SLH Estate, Lucienne, Smith & Hook, Copa Del Rey, and Bin 36.  Along with this assortment of wine brands, the Hahn family also owns the Mugie Ranch in northern Kenya, where the Hahns reside […]

Anka

We’ve been reviewing a number of cabernet sauvignons lately, but one wine we’ve come across that we really like is not quite a cabernet sauvignon, but rather is a red blend that is dominant in cabernet sauvignon.  Anka is a blend of 57% cabernet sauvignon, 16% merlot, 15% cabernet franc, 7% carmemere, 4%  syrah, and 1 % […]