What Do Wine, Vodka, Angel, Firefly, Peninsula and Banana Pudding Have in Common?

After a “tough” morning of shopping, we were excited to drive to the Irvin House Vineyards (http://www.charlestonwine.com/) and Firefly Vodka Distillery (http://www.fireflyvodka.com/) for a tour and tasting. Located on Wadmalaw Island, about 30 minutes from town, Jim and Ann Irvin feature the only domestic winery in Charleston. In 2008, they launched the Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka brand, which I loved before I even arrived in Charleston. Many thanks to Jim for the fantastic private tour, as well as Ann and Erin for the hospitality and warm welcome. (We heard Ann is a big fan of Girls Getaways, so we cannot wait for her to join us on an upcoming trip). On the way back to Vendue Inn, we stopped to see the magnificent Angel Oak Tree (www.AngelOakTree.org), which is 65 feet high, provides 17,000 square feet of shade and is believed to be 1,500 years old.

That night we decided to try the Peninsula Grill (http://www.peninsulagrill.com/) for dinner. After hearing so much about the Grill’s Ultimate Coconut Cake, we just couldn’t at least try it. We split the New York Strip and opted for extra sides (Citrus Glazed Spinach and the Bacon & Cheddar Fingerling Potatoes). Realizing just how full we were after our main course, we debated whether we could even begin to enjoy the enormous Coconut Cake. Not ones to follow the usual trend, we opted for the staff’s favorite dessert – the Banana Pudding. We were thrilled with our choice and will have to make another trip to Charleston just for the Ultimate Coconut Cake.