Firefly Friday Aboard The Palmetto Breeze--Intoxicating

Thunderstorms were scattered about the Charleston area but the Harbor around Mt. Pleasant's popular waterside mecca of watering holes at Shem Creek was luckily spared and was basking in a moisture-rich late afternoon sun. Departure time had arrived.

With a full compliment of passengers, the catamaran's crew loosened the moorings and it eased away from the dock into the gentle out-going current. The age-diverse crowd of passengers gave out cheers of approval. We waved to the patrons lining the weatherworn rails along the waters edge of Red's Ice House as they gave us a Titanic send off. The party was now officially underway.

While navigating the narrow waters around recreational crafts of all sizes, the captain introduced himself and shouted out some pertinent instructions. It was Firefly Friday. Complimentary glasses of a Firefly Vodka laced drink were passed out. We crossed glasses and caught a glimpse of a shrimper dancing to some island music as our vessel passed-by. The bird sanctuary called Crab Bank Island came into view and the open waters of Charleston Harbor spread before us like a sparkling glass of Firefly Vodka. The sails were unfurled and the stimulating harbor breeze softly embraced our host, the Palmetto Breeze.

The Palmetto Breeze was built in Charleston and is the largest capacity catamaran north of Ft. Lauderdale accommodating 100 passengers plus crew. It featured a spacious wooden deck and covered seating by the bar with elevated seating across the back. In the front of the catamaran under the jib sail, three rows of eight leg-less chairs each were set up across the deck. If you were among the first to board, you had the ideal option of choosing one of these chairs. They were actually very comfortable and afforded a great view.

There was by far more passengers than there was seating. Most of the passengers, which consisted of families, couples, and one bachelorette party, sat wherever it was convenient or stood along the roped edges.

With the Ravenel Bridge towering over Patriots Point and the Yorktown in the near distance, the Breeze crossed the harbor waters passed Castle Pinckney toward White Point Gardens and sailed along the waterfront from the Battery to the South Carolina Aquarium.

The earlier storms had moved out of the area and through breaks in the slow moving marine blue clouds, the descending sun afforded some beautiful shots. Passing the port docks, next was the Ravenel Bridge where the Breeze briefly lingered under the soaring cabled-spires and then made the turn towards the Yorktown and Patriots Point. By then, the near-full moon had made its appearance, adding to the splendor of the darkening azure skies.

Finally, after four glasses of Firefly and one glass of wine, it was time to head back to port. The sun had disappeared below the clouds and the fading Charleston horizon. There was no mistaking Shem Creek. It was colorfully lit like a theater marquee--resplendent.

The harbor tour aboard the Palmetto Breeze is well worth the $35 ticket. It was comfortable, it was relaxing, and it was enjoyably fun. There is no narrative. History is not on the agenda. It is all about soaking in the romance of the Charleston Harbor ambiance--salt water, ocean breezes, and the unrivaled, beautiful waterfront of Charleston. Firefly Vodka was complimentary. Water and soft drinks were provided along with a cash bar as refreshments.

April-October, Charleston Harbor cruises aboard Palmetto Breeze include:

Margarita Monday
Pirate Sailing Adventure
2 for Tuesday Sunset Sail
“Windsday” Sail from Red’s Ice House on Shem Creek
FIREFLY Friday (sponsored by Firefly Vodka and benefitting Susan G. Komen Lowcountry)

A One Of A Kind Distillery On Charleston's Only Winery-Firefly and Irwin-House Winery

On the port side of Charleston, discreetly tucked away on moss-draped Wadmalaw Island, is the Lowcountry's only winery featuring vino made from domestic muscadine grapes and distilled spirits imbued with locally grown tea. Located on a road that ends at a fish hatchery, blanketed with the gnarled branches of age old oaks and a peek-a-boo view of the intercoastal waters of Wadmalaw Sound, two modest brick pillars marked the beginning of a long, winding stone-packed driveway leading to two unpretentious wood-constructed buildings - the humble tasting rooms of Irwin-House Vineyards and Firefly Distillery. Out of this simple island setting comes five of the South's finest wines and the world's first hand-crafted sweet tea flavored vodka.

On this beautiful morning of October, for the first time since moving to the Lowcountry, I visited the Irwin-House Vineyards finally fulfilling a long standing want - to see and taste first-hand the sweet tea flavored vodka that was featured in a drink I had the pleasure of consuming while dining at the Husk in Charleston. It was there I saw the name Firefly for the first time and after finding out it was brewed locally, visiting the brewery became an unrelenting desire.

 

Irwin-House Vineyards spreads out over the island some 48-acres consisting originally of 2,700 vines planted by Jim and Ann Irwin in March of 2001. Fulfilling a dream, Ann's gardening and painting and Jim's wine making, they purchased the property and converted the original farm barns into a winery and distillery with tasting rooms for each. Ann's gardening hobby is apparent by the large fenced in area where sugar cane and an assortment of indigenous plants grow with a small weather-worn shack in the middle rising above it all. I asked if that was the sugar cane they use in their distillery process. "We grow the sugar cane on our farm on John's Island," Mr. Irwin informed.

As you drive up the long winding driveway, the vineyard comes into view. Fenced-in rows and rows of mature muscadine grape vines spread out before you. After parking my truck under the tall oaks, it was a short walk to the rustic buildings housing the tasting rooms. A patio with a variety of chairs, potted plants, overhead strung lights, Firefly signs, and two joggling boards separated the buildings. There was a large group of parents, mostly mothers, with their children eating at tables scattered about the grounds outside of the Firefly tasting room, which was my first stop.

The interior was farm modest and down-to-earth island simple, one main bar and two smaller bars. Bottles of Vodka and Moonshine lined the walls, accompanied by a couple of electric guitars and a popcorn machine. There were six other patrons standing at the main bar chomping on popcorn and downing shots of Firefly.

I paid the $6 for a choice of six tastings from a list of Firefly's offerings. My choices were Sweet Tea, Raspberry Tea, and Peach Vodkas, Sea Island and Java Rums, and Raspberry Moonshine. My bartender served a shot glass of each one at a time while two ladies standing to the left of me, captivated by two puppies running around at the feet of the bartenders behind the bar, oohed and ahhed at their antics.

I savored each pour. They were all uniquely tasty and very smooth. Picking a favorite was difficult, but Sweet Tea and Raspberry Moonshine won out at $20 a bottle, although the Java Rum was very tempting. "The Java is very good in making Black Russians," she added.

You are free to roam among the vines where clusters of aging grapes still hung. You will likely be greeted by a friendly white Brahma bull that also roams freely among the vines. I walked around the distillery building containing a room full of barrels and another room designated the laboratory. There was also a shiny, silver still and huge vats housing the fermenting spirits. I watched workers bottle and package the Firefly brand.

 

 

It was an informative and relaxing day. I did not do the wine tasting, saved that for the next visit. For now, I achieved my goal. Address: 6775 Bears Bluff Rd, Wadmalaw Island.

BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival, February 28 Thru March 3-Charleston's Only Winery And Distillery Rocks

Charleston, the toast of the coast, beautiful, hospitable, and drenched in romantic, southern history, is a sort of living museum. A plethora of 18th century homes, plantations, churches, galleries, and shops line its vintage roadways and waterfronts. A considerable number of historic hotels, inns, and bed and breakfasts cordially beckon travelers to partake of their opulence. Award-winning restaurants featuring the famous Lowcountry cuisine entice hungry visitors at every turn of the corner and for the surf and sand lovers, four beautiful beaches wrap its coastline. But despite this abundance of old city amenities, Charleston is home to only one varietal repository, the Irvin House Vineyards on Wadmalaw Island.

The Irvin House Vineyards is a 48-acre winery about 30 minutes south of Charleston. The vineyard offers walking trails, a petting zoo, a garden, large pond, winery, and gift shop. You can take advantage of the winery's affordable and informative wine tastings. For $4, you can taste all 5 of their varietals and will receive a complimentary wine glass for a keepsake to remember your time at the vineyard. Afterwards, you can enjoy a self-guided tour through the muscadine vines. Muscadine grapes are a fruit native to the Southeastern United States, perfectly matched to the climate needing fewer chilling hours than better known varieties and they thrive on summer heat.

One event to hone in on is the annual Grape Stomping Festival. In 2012, the event was in August. Check the event news on Irvin House Vineyards website for updates on this years stomping. Interesting fact: After naming their wines, they chose fine Charleston artists to create the labels.

The winery is also home to the Firefly Distillery, South Carolina's only distillery. Firefly became the world's first hand-crafted sweet tea flavored vodka. It is distilled four times, infused with tea grown on the Charleston Tea Plantation just five miles from the distillery. The distillery has a tasting room, where people may taste Firefly products and purchase bottles right on the property. Tastings are $6. It is one of the very few in the country to be both a vineyard and a distillery. Visitors can also take a quick drive down the road to the Charleston Tea Plantation for tours any day of the week. The tasting room is located at 6775 Bears Bluff Road.

Now that I have you all wined-up, it is time to attend the annual BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival, February 28 - March 3, 2013. There will be 80 events over the course of the Festival weekend, affording you the opportunity to interact with and learn from the country's best chefs, authors and beverage professionals. The heart of it all is the Culinary Village in Marion Square Park where the JetBlue + Piggly Wiggly Grand Tasting Tents with over 80 food and beverage vendors from across the country will be set up. Firefly will be part of the Charleston Wine + Food Festival March 1 - 3. You can see them in the Piggly Wiggly Tent. For a complete list of venues and locations click on map. Events and tickets are posted here.

Here are some interesting wine facts:
1) The smell of young wine is called an "aroma" while a more mature wine offers a more subtle "bouquet".
2) Wine tasting is essentially wine smelling, women tend to be better wine testers because women, particularly of reproductive ages, have a better sense of smell than men.
3) Red wines are red because fermentation extracts color from the grape skins. White wines are not fermented with the skins present.
4) The world's oldest bottle of wine dates back to 325 A.D. and was found near the town of Speyer, Germany, inside one of two Roman sarcophaguses. It is on display at the town's Historisches Museum der Pfalz.
5) There is increasing scientific evidence that moderate, regular wine drinking can reduce the risk of heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and gum disease.
6) Wine grapes rank number one among the world's fruit crops in terms of acres planted.
7) There is a right and wrong way to hold a wine glass. Wine glasses should always be held by the stem and not the bowl because the heat of the hand will raise the temperature of the wine.
8) One ton of grapes makes about 60 cases of wine, or 720 bottles. One bottle of wine contains about 2.8 pounds of grapes.
9) Most wine is served in a glass that has a gently curved rim at the top to help contain the aromas in the glass. The thinner the glass and the finer the rim, the better. A flaring, trumpet-shaped class dissipates the aromas.
10) Red wine represents 55% of restaurant wine sales.

82 Queen And A Historic Carriage Ride-Completely Charleston During Charleston's Restaurant Week

It was a beautiful day for a Charleston carriage ride. It would be Keri's first. We selected Old South Carriage Tours to be our guide and purchased the tickets for $22 each. While waiting to board our carriage, we spent time talking with one of the guides about the horses and met Samson, a massively large gelding, 22 hands tall. Samson at first was attentive but after awhile became bored with our conversation and went to lean against one of the walls in his stall. It was time to board the carriage.

The guide introduced herself and informed us of our horses name, Dave. We pulled out onto the road and headed to the area where a machine randomly selects a colored ball. The colored ball drawn denotes the route the guide must take to regulate carriage traffic in any given location in the city. Ours was a red ball. Our carriage would be traveling to the Battery starting at Mills House Hotel, winding through White Point Gardens and back.

The guide was very entertaining and informative. I give her high marks. Dave didn't like making the scheduled stops and would push the carriage backwards to express his disapproval. After doing this tour repeatedly through the day you would probably feel the same way. The tour reached its conclusion. It was picture time. Keri, an experienced equestrian and horse lover, posed with Dave. We moved on and took a brief walk on King Street where Second Sunday had just come to an end. It was now time to walk to our restaurant destination on Queen Street, our Restaurant Week selection.

No landscaped walkway leading to a large porch and entrance greets you on arrival, no huge sign displaying its name. Two brass numbers on the street wall are all you have to go on aside from a tiny sign on the opened gate. If you are not paying attention you could unknowingly walk right past it and end up on busy King Street. It is 82 Queen. It can't get any simpler. The restaurant's address is its name.

Looking in from the street, you look up a narrow, beautifully landscaped alleyway. Alleys are common features in Charleston and part of its picturesque charm. At the end we could see a couple of well-dressed young ladies and after navigating the alley, we discovered they were the hostesses for the restaurant. We informed them of our 5:45pm reservation. With reservation confirmed, one of them asked what our preference would be, inside or out. Since it was a beautiful night, we said outside. The hostess led us on our way to the table. The outside dining area was a large white-trellised patio with green plants growing everywhere. Tables were strategically placed to maximize space. Overhead fans kept the area cool and comfortable.

 

Shortly after being seated we were brought the bread. Keri pointed to the four pieces and we both smiled. The amusement had to do with a previous visit to another restaurant where they only brought us out three pieces of bread, emphasis on "only". If you want to know why that was amusing, read my article about 82 Queen's neighbor restaurant the Husk.

Sonia, our server, greeted us next and handed us the menu. She gave a summary of each selection and took our drink order. I chose the Firefly Fruit Cocktail and my company, a wine person, picked Folonari Pinot Grigio. No surprise. We were undecided about our selections and took a little time. We sipped the drinks and Keri engaged in the traditional 'taste your drink' practice. She said, "I taste ice tea." I disbelievingly said, "Are you sure, I only saw vodka and fruit juices on the list of ingredients." "Nope, there's ice tea," she confidently reconfirmed. Well, the controversy needed settling. Ice tea is as common to Charleston as Rainbow Row, but in a vodka drink? I questioned the server on her return and she retrieved the drink list. The list of ingredients read: Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, Monin pomegranate mix, cranberry juice, lemonade. Firefly is a local distillery on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina and the tea comes from the Charleston Tea Plantation; a pure southern blend through and through. It's a good thing I didn't bet the house.

It was time for our 3 for $30 selections. First choice was She Crab Soup laced with Sherry. I may get in trouble with the locals for saying this, but I have been in Charleston for seven years and this was the first time I ordered she crab soup. What better place than 82 Queen for this first. It was superb and the Sherry a refreshing touch. No wonder it is called award winning. For our second selection, I chose the Barbados Style Fish Tostada and Keri picked Grilled Pork Chop. Barbados Style Fish Tostada consisted of the catch of the day with mild red chili sauce on baby greens, crispy tortilla, grilled pineapple, black bean salsa, Cilantro Lime Sour Cream. The chili sauce and salsa added a pleasant tomato taste, not too spicy. The fish wasn't anything extraordinary. I had no clue what specie it was and I didn't ask. Keri gave the pork chop a thumbs up. I liked the caramelized plantains from her dish. Key lime pie was the dessert.

Barbados Style Fish Tostada

Grilled Pork Chop

The whole staff from the front end to the server were professional. Sonia was very hospitable and very attentive, did everything with a pleasant smile. There was one issue but the management went above and beyond to correct it. The outside restaurant atmosphere was beautifully Charleston. Although I did not get to see the main dining area, I am sure it was equally enjoyable. It was Charleston Restaurant Week, so it was a 3 for $30 deal with a total bill of $86. The Pinot Grigio was $8 a glass and the Firefly Fruit Cocktail was $10. Reservations are suggested but from what I saw they will not turn away walk-ins. We saw a walk-in in the beginning and bumped into them leaving. 82 Queen is one address you will need to check out if for any reason, at least for the she crab soup. If you are feeling festive, order a Firefly Fruit Cocktail and clink your glasses to the number one destination in the nation and its top restaurants. Celebrate Charleston.