Preparing and Drinking Absinthe
Preparing absinthe is a complex ritual befitting the spirit's mythic lore.

This is a process in which, with every painstaking step, the anticipation builds to a crescendo culminating, finally, in actual consumption. In this way serving absinthe is similar to a Japanese tea ceremony.

Beaujolais has long been the secret haunt of wine geeks, value hunters and even collectors who want fresh, complex, food-friendly reds at very reasonable prices.

There's an honesty and transparency to good Beaujolais that makes it both invigorating and thoughtful. Gulping down a real Beaujolais with some charcuterie is one of this world's finer, humble delights (the French famously, and lovingly, refer to Beaujolais as "gouleyant," which sounds much more sophisticated than "gulpable"), though a Beaujolais can also be sipped and meditated upon as it does a more rustic impersonation of Burgundy's myriad changes in the glass.

Seriously - forget what you know about cheap Beaujolais because the 2006 Desvignes Morgon Cote du Py has more in common with d'Angerville or de Montille than Duboeuf or any of the flower-themed bottles that lurk anonymously in supermarkets nationwide.

We are thrilled to announce that Crush's Managing Partner Bobby Schagrin and his wife Bernie welcomed a baby boy into their family early Tuesday morning. Mother, baby and father are all doing great. We'll post more details soon!

Absinthe is a wonderful aperitif when diluted with water though, for you mixologists out there, absinthe can also be used in the construction of any number of historical cocktails like the Sazerac, or Ernest Hemingway's favorite cocktail - Death in the Afternoon!

Everyone was seeing green (but not in a hallucinogenic way) at Crush's first-ever absinthe tasting last Thursday night.

Over 200 people came out to participate and we thank you all for your curiosity, good spirit and support. The representatives pouring were wonderful and the absinthe truffles provided by Nunu chocolates were delicious and great compliments to the absinthe being poured. Yes, the night was a resounding, absinthe-inspired success!

At the tasting customers enjoyed four different absinthes, two absinthe fountains and absinthe truffles...all free. Not a bad way to spend a Thursday evening.

Sancerre is just one of those magical summer whites and for good reason: Can any other wine deliver the mouthwatering citrus-and-stone combo with such an elegant and refreshing zing?

New Zealand, as the press has pointed out over the last 10+ years, has done the "zing" part of this equation with an impressive intensity, though honestly to our palates the islands down under have very rarely produced Sauvignon Blancs with the finesse or complexity that a solid Sancerre effortlessly delivers.

While Mount Nelson is in no way the first New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to work on a balance between the "elegance" and the "zing," it is, without doubt, the most impressive, seamless and finessed Sauvignon Blanc from the southern hemisphere we've come across in the past three years - and at an incredible value!

We arrived at Willi Schaefer bright and early and were welcomed by Willi Schaefer himself. The first stop: A tasting room full of AM sunlight and the scents of spring flowers coming through the window. A 1975 Graacher Himmelreich Auslese sat on the table. It felt like I went from the comfort of sleep to even more comfortable place.

Willi Schaefer said that he chose to begin with the 1975 because he felt that the 2007 and 1975 vintage shared many similarities. Both vintages possess low botrytis and have high levels of acidity. If the 1975 is any indication of what lies in store for the 2007ers, those of you who stock up will be very happy indeed.

The 2007ers exhibit extreme focus, clarity and concentration; they are arguably some of the best wines produced at the estate in recent history - which is saying something. These are incredibly dense wines with profound minerality and a structure that is formidable, to say the least. They promise to be exceptionally long-lived. Don't miss this lineup.