1. Home
  2. Tim Lemke

Tim Lemke

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

Creating Vinho Verde at Quinta de Covela

One of the things that fascinates me when I learn the history of many wine producers in Europe is how common it is to find vineyards that have stayed in the same family for several generations.  But that’s not always the story.  Every now and then I come across a new kid on the block. […]

Frisk Prickly Rosso – Sparkly Fun

When a PR rep reached out to me and asked if I’d be interested in tasting a “prickly rosso” I said, “Hell yes!”  It wasn’t that I expected it to be a spectacular wine, but it was something different and that’s one of the things I love about wine – exploring different ones. By “prickly” […]

Jacob’s Creek Red Blend – Easy Drinking Bargain Red

Jacob’s Creek is a pretty big producer from Australia with good distribution in the United States, which means this should be a relatively easy wine to find.  That said, this is a new release and it may take some time for it to show up widely in stores.  But when it does, it will be […]

Pertinace Nebbiolo – Aromatic and Affordable

I often get the question, “what’s your favorite wine?”  To which I never have a simple answer.  I don’t really have one favorite.  It depends on what mood I’m in, what I’m eating, what the weather is, etc.  That’s like asking me what my favorite song is.  I can’t narrow it down to just one. […]

Leitz Rüdesheimer Riesling – Dry and Delicious

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and my email inbox is overflowing from the wine PR folks pitching their Thanksgiving wine stories to me.  And everywhere I turn I find wine writers publishing their “best wines for Thanksgiving” stories. That story is pretty cliché in my opinion.  There are so many diverse flavors on the Thanksgiving table […]

Wittmann 100 Hügel Riesling Trocken – Prickly Goodness

A few months ago, while on a bar crawl with some colleagues, I stopped into a bar in Cincinnati called Rhinehaus.  I was actually a little excited when I saw the name of the bar because I thought they should have some good wines from the Rhine river region in Germany.  After all, Rhine is […]

Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Noir

This is a wine that falls in the not-exactly-cheap-but-pretty-darn-good category.  It comes from Ponzi Vineyards in Willamette Valley, Oregon. Ponzi is a family-owned producer that was founded back in 1970.  They have 120 acres of LIVE Certified Sustainable vineyards in Northern Willamette Valley, a cool-climate wine region—perfect for pinot noir. The winemaker at Ponzi is Luisa […]

Las Lilas Vinho Verde – Bright & Delicious

I have a quick Vinho Verde review for you tonight. The wine is called Las Lilas and comes from a fairly small vineyard (14 hectares) along the beautiful Douro river in northern Portugal. As I’ve mentioned before, Vinho Verde has a range of styles and a range of possible grapes from which it can be […]

Tsantali Kanenas White Blend – Delightfully Delicious

Over the past year, one wine region that I’ve fallen in love with is Greece.  Unfortunately, I don’t find many Greek wines on the shelves in my neighborhood, but those that I’ve tasted have been delicious — and this wine from Tsantali is no exception. It’s made from 60% Chardonnay and 40% Muscat of Alexandria. […]

René Muré Cremant D’Alsace – Brut

For bargain-hunting sparkling wine lovers, “cremant” is a good word to learn.  It’s the name given to French sparkling wines that come from regions outside of Champagne.  And being from outside of Champagne they typically have quite reasonable prices compared to their Champagne relatives. This Cremant D’Alsace from René Muré is made from a blend of […]