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Fishman the Grape

Part 3 Firefly Tasting – Don Miguel Gascon
a wine blog

By Daniel Fishman
Eat Vancouver writer
Monday, July 9th, 2007

I stopped by Firefly Fine Wines and Ales on Friday June 29th for their Don Miguel Gascon tasting. Gascon is a well known Argentinean producer, and despite the fact that I am generally not a big fan of South American wines, it seems like so many people have so many good things to say about them, that I should keep trying. Unfortunately, the Don Miguel Gascon conformed to my previous South American experiences, as I found most of the wines to be on the thin side without much in the way of excitement. Easy drinking would probably be the best term for these wines, but since they aren’t terribly cheap (starting at $15.50 and going up from there), it doesn’t really seem worth it. Wines that I tasted included:

High Altitude Viognier/Chardonnay
High Altitude Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon
Malbec
Syrah
President’s Blend Malbec

The only one that I was at all interested in was the President’s Blend Malbec, but it was of course the most expensive, so it really wasn’t what I would consider a value buy.

As for Firefly itself, it is a pretty interesting store, organized not by region grape variety, but by taste and flavor, with choices like “Crisp,” “Bubbly,” and “Black Teeth.” It’s an interesting decision, and I am hoping to interview the manager at some point in the future. Firefly seems to be in the mold of a store like Liberty Wine, offering better selection and more knowledgeable staff than the BC Liquor Store, but with slightly higher prices (about 10-15% according to my estimation). It is ultimately a matter of personal preference whether or not this premium is worth it for you. To me, the better selection and free tastings (on most Fridays it seems) make Firefly a worthwhile destination.