Nelson's Neighborhood

Warm up in the crisp air at Charleston’s only winery as Sippin’ Saturdays continue through the end of 2013. Every Saturday from 12:00 - 4:00 p.m, the winery will serve up a different local food vendor and musical group to entertain locals and visitors alike. There is no admission fee but patrons are encouraged to bring their cash or credit for a wide variety of libations, food options, tastings and local gifts.  Bring your lawn chairs & blankets to relax under the oaks and relish in the Lowcountry beauty. The famous Irvin~House Vineyards Wine-a-Ritas will be served on the patio and Irvin~House Vineyards wine may be purchased by the glass or bottle and enjoyed outside. Tastings in the Firefly Vodka distillery and Irvin~House Vineyard winery are only $6.00 to taste 6 of 24 flavors of Firefly Spirits and $5.00 to taste 5 wines. Patrons will receive complimentary glasses during both tastings. Pets are allowed but must be leashed, and no coolers please. The vineyard will ...

Going for a touchdown! Two local tourist destinations, Irvin~House Vineyards and Firefly Distillery are in the running for the exposure of a lifetime as they have been chosen for round two of the Intuit Small Business Big Game Contest. The reward: a national commercial to air during the third quarter of the the biggest football game of the year!  Now that voting has been closed to the public, Intuit will pick the top 20 companies, using their number of votes, financial stability, creativity and how they represent the Intuit brand. Four finalists will be announced in November and each will receive a professionally produced national commercial. Voters will then choose their favorite business and the grand prize winner will be announced in December. Intuit will provide the budget to produce the ad. Intuit is the maker of QuickBooks and other business products. Firefly Distillery and Irvin~House Vineyards teamed up with local producer Ryan Nelson of Nelwater ...

Raise a glass to celebrate the 11th Annual Blessing of the Vines Festival on Saturday, November 9, 2013 from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m, located at 6775 Bears Bluff Road on Wadmalaw Island. The public will get their chance to witness the blessing of muscadine grapevines by Father Greg Snyder, enjoy live music by The Jefferson Coker Band, food and drink all while admiring the charming setting of Irvin~House Vineyards. The event is open to the public, admission is $10.00 per car and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Frierson Elementary After School Program and The Center for Women . Patrons can enjoy the annual sugar cane crushing; and new this year, a shrimp and grits cook off by local Johns Island chefs from local restaurants including Fat Hen, Rosebank Cafe, Stono Cafe, Seanachi's, and Tomato Shed Cafe. Tickets for the shrimp and grits cook off can be purchased for $5.00 at the event and all proceeds will be donated to the Frierson Elementary After School Program an...

His partying days are over and now it’s time for the real fun! Steve Carroll, former owner of some of Charleston’s most popular bars and musical venues -- including the Radio Room, The Warehouse, Band Wagon and Red’s Ice House at Bohicket Marina -- is diving into a new chapter in his food and beverage career with the opening of his first family friendly restaurant, Water Dog Grill, at 1035 Johnnie Dodds Boulevard in Mount Pleasant. This spacious sports bar and grill boasts a large outdoor space, more than 20 HD televisions, 24 beers on tap, two stages and a full menu.  Carroll, now a husband and father of two, is a Mount Pleasant native who has grown up in the Charleston food and beverage industry. From his first days as a bartender at the Windjammer to his well-known ownership of the hottest venues in town to his decade long transformation of Red’s Icehouse which ended in April 2013, he has truly molded the music and bar scene of the Lowcountry. While worki...