Nelson's Neighborhood

There’s nothing better than local, salty oysters in the Lowcountry winter. Grab your oyster knives for a shuckin’ good time under the oaks at Firefly Distillery and Deep Water Vineyard (previously Irvin~House Vineyards) Fourth Annual Cork Shuckin’ Festival on Saturday, February 6 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 6775 Bears Bluff Road on Wadmalaw Island. Admission is $5 per car.   Patrons are encourag ed to bring cash and credit for oysters, wine and Firefly spirits tastings. Oysters will be available and other Food Trucks will be on site including Coastal Crust, Gidget Gourmet, Linen's BBQ, and Sweet Lulu's Bakery. Guests are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the music of the Don Merkle and the Blacksmiths.  This year, a new aspect has been added to the festival to heat up some competition and fun. A laser skeet shoot will be held in the field next to the distillery. A laser skeet shoot uses specially-modified laser shotguns, reusable ...

  It’s with bittersweet emotions that Jim and Ann Irvin announce that their property and Charleston’s only winery, Irvin~House Vineyards, has been sold to the Freiwald family. Tastings and gatherings at the winery and Firefly Distillery will continue as normal. The Irvin family wish to thank everyone from around the world who made a special trip to their “little piece of heaven” and became a part of the vineyard family. They wish the Freiwald family well as they carry on the legacy of being Charleston’s only estate winery.  Purchased in 2001 by newlyweds, Jim and Ann Irvin, the original land that would become Irvin~House Vineyards was a boarding area for a local carriage company. Together, they had a dream to create a vineyard growing muscadine grapes. Muscadines are the only grapes that will grow in the humid climate of the Lowcountry. So combined with the muscle of Ann’s son, Jay MacMurphy, who is currently the Firefly Master Distiller, the intricacy of Jim’s ch...