What list contains names like Jeroboam, Rehoboam, Methuselah, Salmanazar, Balthazar, Nebuchadnezzar, and Sovereign? No, it doesn't have anything to do with the Bible. These are designated names for wine bottle sizes. The most well known wine bottle size is the Magnum, which is the equivalent of two standard size bottles of 1.5 liters. There are hundreds of wine types in the world, each with its own flavors and styles. Most people know about the popular varieties, such as chardonnay, cabernet, zinfandel, muscadel, pinot blanc, and merlot. Even more daunting is the glossary of wine terminology. When I take a glass of wine, I don't ask to sniff the cork, role it around in the glass, smell it, or swish it throughout my mouth. I just drink it. One could very well say I seriously lack the cultural sophistication and elegance required in wine selection and recognition.

Wines were first introduced to the United States as early as the 17th century. On the East Coast, early settlers were disappointed by the native wine varieties, which made strong and earthy wine, so they imported wine cuttings from their European homelands. Unfortunately, disease and severe weather took their toll on the fledgling vines, and they didn't survive. In the 19th century, due to the work of horticulturist Thomas Munson, growers discovered that by grafting European varieties to American rootstock, they could produce flavorful wine. This process also saved the European wine industry from extinction when American rootstock was taken over to England infected with phylloxera.

On the west coast, 18th century Spanish missionaries planted vines at each mission to produce sacramental wine. The 1849 Gold Rush brought a growing number of immigrants, mostly of the Italian descent, who planted in the Napa and Sonoma valleys and the Sierra foothills to satisfy the increased demands of the thirsty miners. Prohibition in 1919 nearly decimated the American winemaking industry. It was illegal to produce wine except for medicinal, sacramental, or home winemaking purposes. A handful of California winemakers survived by making sacramental wine. It wasn't repealed until 1933. In the following years quality wines were produced, but had difficulty marketing them. Then, in 1976, two California wines beat their French counterparts in a blind taste test in Paris. The ancient European wineland's rigid grip on the hiearchy of quality wine was broken. Now, California is the largest producer in the country, producing 90 per cent of the nation's wine. Other top wine-producing states include New York, Oregon, and Washington. The United States is the third largest wine-consuming country in the world, following only France and Italy.

The hot and humid summers of South Carolina make it a challenge to grow grapes for wine production. It requires viticulturalists to adapt their canopy(the parts of the vine visible aboveground) to minimize direct sunlight on the grapes, which are often harvested early in the summer. South Carolina is not a designated American Viticultural Area. An American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and the United States Department of the Treasury.

Still, there are numerous wineries in SC, one of which is in Charleston, the Market Street Winery. Charleston is also host to a four day event called "one of the top five food and wine festivals in the U.S." by Forbes Traveler, the annual BB&T Charleston Wine and Food Festival. This year it will take place March 3-6. March 4, at Marion Square, the 6 Top Chefs Challenge will take place. The Festival for the first time will celebrate the Bravo hit TV show, Top Chef, with a bash and “Lowcountry Ingredient” challenge. A fan favorite from each season will be on-hand to serve a small plate of their signature recipe. Tickets are still available. This is just one of the numerous events scheduled throughout the four days. Click for the complete list. In conclusion, "If your heart is warm with happiness, you'll need a glass of wine-if sorrow chills your heart, have two!"

Other wine and food festivals:
Coastal Uncorked Food and Wine Festival
Beaufort Wine and Food Weekend
High Museum Wine Auction
Atlanta Food & Wine Festival
New Orleans Wine & Food Experience
Cincinnati Wine Festival
South Beach Wine & Food Festival
Looking for accommodations or flights go to Vacation Rick Travel (Priceline affiliate)

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FIREFLY VODKA SERVING UP "COCKTAILS FOR A CAUSE" WITH THE SPA AT CHARLESTON PLACE
TO INCREASE MELANOMA AWARENESS 


Charleston, S.C. (November 24,2010) --  Cocktails anyone? Firefly Vodka is teaming up with The Spa at Charleston Place to raise awareness about melanoma and skin cancer on Thursday, December 2 from 5:30-8:00 p.m at "Cocktails for a Cause" at The Spa at Charleston Place. The soiree cocktail party is part of the “I Will Reflect” Melanoma Awareness and Prevention Initiative to help educate Charleston residents about the dangers of melanoma and tips for prevention.

Cost of admission is $25 per person and a limited number of tickets available with all proceeds from the ticket sales and auction to benefit the Medical University of South Carolina Foundation’s Department of Dermatology. To purchase tickets call The Spa at Charleston Place call 843-937-8522 or email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The event will include the unveiling of a signature Spa at Charleston Place Firefly Cocktail, a silent auction featuring one-of-a-kind experiences and items, signature nail polish change and more. The Spa at Charleston Place and Firefly Vodka have set a fundraising goal of $5,000 for the event. If the goal is reached, Firefly co-founder Scott Newitt and his wife will donate an additional $2,500 to the cause.

What: Cocktails for a Cause
When: Thursday, December 2, 2010 from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM EST
Where: The Spa at Charleston Place, 4th Floor, Charleston Place Hotel, 205 Meeting Street
Tickets: 843-937-8522 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to reserve your tickets today, limited number available

The Spa at Charleston Place’s “I Will Reflect” initiative is part of a worldwide cause founded by SpaFinder in response to the fact that nearly every hour one American dies of melanoma, yet early detection increases a person’s survival rate significantly. In its third year, the campaign has expanded its efforts to create widespread awareness about prevention and early melanoma detection throughout Charleston.

According to www.cancer.net, "In 2010, an estimated 68,130 adults (38,870 men and 29,260 women) in the United States will be diagnosed with melanoma. It is estimated that 8,700 deaths (5,670 men and 3,030 women) from this disease will occur this year.Melanoma accounts for less than 5% of skin cancer cases and a majority of skin cancer deaths. Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer among men and the seventh most common cancer in women. Sometimes, melanoma is found in children and teenagers. Melanoma rates are more than 10 times higher in white people than black people, and has been increasing in young white women (ages 15-39) and in white adults older than 65."

Please join us for this great event on December 2, 2010.

About Firefly Distillery
Firefly Distillery is located on Wadmalaw Island, thirty miles South of Charleston, South Carolina and is the largest distillery in the state. The distillery currently produces Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, four Sweet Tea Vodka Flavors: Lemon, Raspberry, Mint and Peach, Firefly Handcrafted Vodka, Sweet Tea Bourbon and Sea Island Rums. Remember this ain’t your Grandma’s Sweet Tea!
For more information visit:  www.fireflyvodka.com.

Fall is here. The air has cooled signicantly since the hot and humid summer ended and Charleston area residents are packing out the events around town. Activities at Boone Hall have seen large, overwhelming crowds from The Taste of Charleston to the Boone Hall Fright Nights. Next in line, The 2010 Coastal Carolina Fair is set to kickoff beginning October 28. Fun, food(get your gyros and elephant ears), rides, and live entertainment will be non-stop all the way to the end on November 6.

It is the 54th edition of the fair, the first fair was in 1957. It is run by the Exchange Club of Charleston and through its 250+ active members, donates over 20,000 volunteer hours each year to maintain and operate the fair. Home to the Coastal Carolina Fair is the Exchange Park in Ladson off of Highway 78 which is owned and operated by the Exchange Club of Charleston. There will be 67 ride attractions provided by Amusements of America & The Exchange Club of Charleston. Also, various stages throughout the park where live entertainment is scheduled. Not to leave unmentioned are the countless vendors who will be displaying their wares from the hot and spicy to the sweet and cold.

Events and Attractions:

Lake front Stage-Thurs. Oct. 28 country singer Phil Vassar. Easton Corbin Sat. Oct. 30. On Halloween, Colt Ford. The schedule also features Uncle Kracker, Ricky Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder, former American Idol contestant Danny Gokey, classic Southern rock band .38 Special, and Percy Sledge. The Coasters, the Platters, and the Marvelettes-close the concert series on Sat. Nov. 6. Dates and times

Parkway Stage-Featured everyday is the Coastal Carolina Fair talent Search. The Best Legs Contest on Wednesday November 3rd at 1:00pm. Raiders Cheerleaders On November 1st at 6:00pm. Click here for the long list of events.

The Gazebo Lawn will feature Sea Lion Splash and The Gazebo Stage will feature comedic hypnotist Terrance B.

Photography Contest with three divisions. Division I-professional photographers (those who work full or part time in photography) and accomplished amateurs. Division II-amateurs of all ages. Division III-high school, middle school and elementary school age. Rules and awards.

Fireworks over the lake nightly.

Ticket prices

Article written by Rick Dunbar first published on blog Vacation Rick. Check out all the articles on things to see and do in Charleston and beyond.

Charleston Naturally, an Online Eco-Chic Boutique, Announces Summer Kick-Off Warehouse Sale

Charleston Naturally opens its Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, warehouse doors June 25 and 26, 2010, offering  exclusive savings on celebrated green boutique items for the home, garden, beauty, kids and pets.

Charleston, SC—June__, 2010—Charleston Naturally, an online boutique specializing in the finest hand-selected natural and organic products, is hosting a summer kick-off Warehouse Sale at their Mt. Pleasant warehouse Friday, June 25 from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturday, June 26 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The Warehouse Sale celebrates the best in summer fun and sun with new arrivals from popular brands such as Chive, Core Bamboo, and Homeport, and also offers the opportunity for customers to save big with discounted summer products and discontinued items, such as the fashionable and beach-ready Mixed Bags collection.

“We get orders from all over the country, yet many Charlestonians don’t realize that we are located right here, in their back yard,” says Charleston Naturally Founder, Sharon Harvey.
“We are excited to host the warehouse sale because it allows local shoppers to connect with us the same way they would in any King Street boutique.”

Charleston Naturally understands that Carolina summers are all about beaches, backyards, and boating. In that spirit, Charleston Naturally has hand-picked items that are perfect for tossing in the beach bag, sprucing up the garden, enlivening indoor and outdoor décor, and combating the sun’s harmful rays. From Klean Kanteen’s totable Wine Karafe to Allsop’s stylish Solar Lanterns to Erbaviva’s protective sunscreen, Charleston Naturally’s Warehouse Sale offers the finest selection of eco-friendly, summer living products.

“We strive to be the ultimate online shopping experience and are thrilled to offer shoppers a variety of customer service options to better accommodate their needs. Whether a shopper is looking for a fashionable new bed for her dog or garden lights for her Fourth of July barbecue, The Warehouse Sale is one more way we are able to share our seasonal products and discounts with our clients.” concludes Harvey.

To learn more, please visit www.charlestonnaturally.com, or call 877-388-9748.

About Charleston Naturally:
Charleston Naturally is an online boutique that celebrates the best in eco-chic, natural, and organic products. From home to garden, kids to pets, health to beauty, Charleston Naturally offers a full line of distinctive gift products that appeal to the discerning shopper who appreciates exceptional quality.

Contact:
Sara Manucy, Retail Manager
Charleston Naturally
877-388-9748
www.charlestonnaturally.com
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Thu., June 10, 12 p.m., Fri., June 11, 9-10 p.m. and Sat., June 12, 7-8 p.m.
www.piccolospoleto.com

High Fashion, music and dance combine as Charleston Ballet Theatre brings their wildly popular Decadent Divas to the 2010 Piccolo Spoleto season. The show is a celebration of 12 of the greatest female entertainers of our time, ranging from Judy Garland and Barbara Streisand to Madonna and Mariah Carey. Spanning the decades from the smoky jazz clubs of the roaring 20’s to the blinding stadium lights of contemporary pop music, Decadent Divas features multi-media visuals by Sun Head Projects and couture costume design by Charleston’s premier couture designer Mary Porter. Presented by Piccolo Spoleto Festival. $31

Friday May 28th at the Murrary Center on George Street is the official opening to the  Piccolo Spoleto Festival with Opening Night Fête. Immediately following the opening performance of the incomparable Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, festival patrons and artists alike will mingle under the stars at the Murray Center.  The party kick off the 34th festival season in high style and include full bar, cocktail supper, live music and dancing.

For the last 30 years the Piccolo Spoleto Festival has been produced and presented by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs. In the decades since its inception, Spoleto Festival USA has firmly established itself as one of the world’s leading festivals, presenting more than 200 world or American premieres.

Spoleto Festival USA was founded in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize-winning Italian composer Gian Carlo Menotti, Christopher Keene, and others who sought to create an American counterpart to their annual Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy. Looking for a city that would provide the charm of Spoleto as well as its wealth of theaters, churches and other performances spaces, they selected Charleston as the ideal location. The historic city provided a perfect fit: intimate enough that the Festival would captivate the entire city, yet cosmopolitan enough to provide an enthusiastic audience and robust infrastructure.

Piccolo Spoleto is the perfect complement to the international scope of its parent festival and its 700 events in 17 days, transforms Charleston into an exhilarating celebration of performing, literary and visual arts. Piccolo Spoleto's traditional program offerings include visual arts exhibits, classical music, jazz, dance, theatre, poetry readings, children's activities, choral music, ethnic cultural presentations, crafts, and film.

This year The Festival announced the return of  Flora in the revitalized  Dock Street Theatre. In 1735 Flora reached Charleston, rumored to be the first opera to be performed in the colonies. It was such a success it was repeated the following year in the first purpose-built theatre in America, the Dock Street Theatre. Now 274 years later, Flora returns to the Dock Street as the theatre reopens after three years of renovation,  Starts Saturday May 29.
More Information on Flora

Piccolo's mission is to provide access to the Spoleto Festival experience for everyone, regardless of their economic, social or physical circumstances and to provide the opportunity for excellent local and regional artists, writers and performances to be presented in Piccolo's "local venue." Piccolo Spoleto offers something wonderful for everyone - from classical to contemporary, from traditional to cutting edge. One of the unique aspects of Piccolo Spoleto is the accessibility to the Spoleto Festival experience. Half of Piccolo's events are admission-free, and the rest are offered at very modest ticket prices. Festival runs May 28-June 13. Spoleto's Official Website

Charleston, SC, March 8, 2010 -

Charleston Waterkeeper announces its First Annual Water Ball at the South Carolina Aquarium on
Thursday, March 25th from 7-11pm.

Upon entering the aquarium, guests will be greeted by a variety of educational installations and interactive displays as well as food selections and cocktails from local vendors impacted by our waterways. There will be a DJ spinning in the Great Ocean Room and special guest appearances from hometown heroes and individuals within the international Waterkeeper movement. Additionally, a silent auction will feature one of a kind experiences (including a day on patrol with the Charleston Waterkeeper) and products from regional and national companies, artists and supporters. Also at the Water Ball, an iPhone application will be unveiled that will allow users to report suspicious activity on the water, receive the latest news from Charleston Waterkeeper, and discover where to fuel up and pump out while enjoying local waterways.

"The Water Ball is a celebration and an evening dedicated to clean water," said Charleston Waterkeeper Executive Director Cyrus Buffum. "Our waterways impact us all, whether we realize it or not, and it is our responsibility to take an active role in protecting them."

Established in 2008, Charleston Waterkeeper is a citizen-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending Charleston's waterways from pollution, while protecting the public's right to clean water. As part investigator, scientist, lawyer, educator and community organizer, Charleston Waterkeeper is a proud member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a movement of nearly 200 other Waterkeeper programs from around the world, all dedicated to clean water and strong communities. All funds raised from the evening will aid Charleston Waterkeeper in its efforts to measurably improve the quality of Charleston's waterways.

Tickets are on sale now for $50 at www.thewaterball.org. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information about Charleston Waterkeeper or the Water Ball, please contact Natalie Taylor at (843) 608-9287 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .