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Tim Lemke

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

Cheap Wine Ratings on What Ya Into? Podcast

There’s a French expression I’m quite fond of, “l’esprit d’escalier.” The literal translation of this is “the spirit of the stairs” but meaning of the expression is the experience you have as you’re walking away from a conversation and you think of the perfect response after the fact, when it’s too late. Therefore a less […]

Review: Rocim Mariana White Blend

If you spend much time exploring wine, through visiting vineyards and talking with producers or even just reading about it, the topic of climate change is likely to come up… often. While some politicians and biased media sources like to question the veracity of climate change models, those who have been working in the wine […]

Review: Secreto De Viu Manent Malbec

When thinking of Malbec, many people think of Argentina, given the fact that so much Malbec is produced there it has almost become synonymous with Argentine wine. But Argentina isn’t the only country where good Malbec is produced. Just to the west of Argentina, in Chile, they are also producing some tasty Malbec. In today’s […]

Review: Monte Velho Rosé

While you can enjoy rosé any time of year, the warm weather outside is telling me rosé season is officially here. Let’s kick off the season with a review of a delicious rosé that retails for a mere $12. Monte Velho (pronounced MON-teh VELL-yo) is one of the brands produced by Portuguese wine producer, Esporão.  […]

Cabernet Sauvignon: Maipo vs Colchagua, Round 2

A couple weeks ago, I published a comparison of two bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile — one of them from the Maipo Valley and the other from Colchagua Valley. That was round one of this face off, today I have round two. In round one, the bottles I compared were both 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, […]

Cabernet Sauvignon: Maipo vs Colchagua, Round 1

I’ve been touting Chilean wines as outstanding bargains for several years now. And while I’ve highlighted wines from different regions of Chile, it can be difficult to keep track of which Chilean wine regions are best for different varieties of wine. I’ve been at this for years, tasted hundreds of Chilean wines and read extensively […]

Review: Cartuxa, EA Red Blend

Nine dollars. That’s where I’d like to begin my discussion about this wine. Nine dollars is the suggested retail price for this bottle. I’ve seen it on sale for less than that too. Nine dollars is a bargain for this wine. Although my focus on this website is affordably-priced wines — “cheap wine” is part […]

Review: Alavida, Kosher Malbec

L’chaim! That is a traditional Hebrew toast, which means, “to life!” It’s the inspiration for the name of this wine, Alavida. In Spanish, “a la vida” means, “to life.” Alavida is not only a kosher wine, but it’s also certified USDA Organic — meaning it was made with organically-grown grapes, and the production process complied […]

Review: Pound for Pound, Zinfandel

“Pound for pound” is an expression used in combat sports when comparing fighters from different weight classes who would not typically compete against each other due to those differences. I don’t know if McPrice Myers, the producer of Pound for Pound Zinfandel, intended for the name of this wine to be an analogy of some […]

Review: Viña Tarapacá Gran Reserva Red Blend

When I began reviewing wines, back in 2007, I quickly recognized Chile as an outstanding region when it came to value. The Chilean wine industry has blossomed even further since then, and while there are still great values to be found, the quality, diversity and innovation coming from Chile give even more reasons to give […]