Wed - 23 Apr/14

Took until this morning to get on the Wi-Fi.

Did Tuesday's blog this morning. Then planned today's outing.

Hey! We got Geese! This clan wanders the grounds and they aren't afraid of people.

Today was a day to enjoy the nice weather. Top off and driving on "Slow(er)" roads where we could enjoy the scenic canopy formed by the trees over the highway.

After lunch we started our day with a trip to Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Island, SC. The Charleston Tea Plantation is the home of "American Classic Tea" (Brand Name), the only tea grown in America.

It is located on picturesque Wadmalaw Island in the heart of South Carolina's Lowcountry. Its grounds include 127 acres of Camellia Sinensis tea plants, a working Tea Factory and a Gift Shoppe. There is an adventurous and educational Trolley Tour that explores the scenic grounds that produce American Classic Tea. There is a complimentary Factory Tour that begins every 15 minutes on the quarter hour and can be accessed at the top of the stairs in the Gift Shop.

The Factory Tour Video was really interesting. We were quite surprised at the process of making tea.
This Tour gives a first hand look into the state-of-the-art equipment utilized to produce the Charleston Tea Plantation's  American Classic Teas. American Classic is the only brand produced here. They do not sell their tea to any other processor.

1. Fresh green leaf being delivered from the field to the Withering Bed
2. Macerated green leaf making its way from the Rotorvane to the Oxidation Bed
3. Leaf entering the Dryer where it will endure heat up to 250°F

These are just some of the many fascinating processes involved in the production of tea. We saw how static electricity plays a major role in sorting teas.  We also learned about the differences in the production of green, black, white and Oolong teas.All tea is produced from a plant called Camellia Sinensis. Camellia sinensis is similar to the Camellia (flower) plant except that it contains caffeine in the leaves - the flowering plant does not and is not used for tea. The thousands of different varieties of teas available in the world are really the same plant only varying by the region it is grown, the time of year picked, and the processing method.

Note: The tea plant is resistant to pests and disease thus there is no need to use herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. The deer also do not like the taste, thus, sparing the crop from the damage suffered by other farm crops. Tea plants also live for a long time (documented to 600 years old).

White tea is the purest and least processed of all teas.  It is the most labour intensive tea requiring that it be picked in the early growth stage by hand. The leaves are picked early in the year while the tiny white hairs are still visible on the leaves and the bud is still closed. Only the top leaf and a bud are picked from the plant. The leaves are then dried. There is no additional processing. This produces a light cup usually a very pale yellow with a light and lightly sweet taste.

Green tea is the most popular type of tea, mainly because it is the beverage of choice in Asia. Some loose green teas are scented with flowers or mixed with fruits to create scented or flavored teas.

Oolong tea is full-bodied with a flavorful fragrance and sweet aroma. Most people commonly recognize oolong tea as the Chinese tea served in Chinese restaurants. The difference between Oolong and Black Tea is the amount of time it is processed. Usually about a third of the time of Black.

Black tea is the tea most people know since you likely grew up dipping tea bags of black tea in your cup (or enjoyed this tea from an iced tea pitcher if your from the South). This tea goes through the most processing.  Once the leaves are picked they go through the withering process. The leaves are then rolled to break open their tissue.  The inner chemicals react with the air and begin to ferment.  During the fermentation, the leaves darken and change from green to red and finally to black.  After the fermenting is complete, the leaves are dried and then packaged. 

Herbal infusions or tisanes, sometimes called herbal tea,  do not actually contain the Camellia sinensis plant.leaves and are not a true tea.

The Trolley Tour was also very educational. We enjoyed the scenic ride around the 127 acre farm with a stop along the way at the state of the art greenhouse, where tea plant propagation takes place. Our guide, John, gave us a wealth of facts as we literally drove past the tea fields (mostly, actually in the fields - not the roads). When the pre-recorded session (voice of co-owner and tea expert Bill Hall) he gave the info himself (guess that's what comes from hearing it so many times).
He told the history of America's own tea garden and challenged our knowledge of tea. We knew the 3 largest tea growing areas in the world (China, India and Sri Lanka [formerly Ceylon]; however, we were surprised to know most of the tea sold in the USA comes from Argentina. (Closer = Cheaper: transportation costs). The tour focused more on the horticultural aspect of the Plantation. It allowed us to see the more than 320 varieties of tea plants in various stages of growth. It also illustrated why the local geographical location is ideal for propagating tea.

We saw the "Green Giant", their custom designed harvester, which is unique in the world. This piece of machinery allows the plantation to harvest the tea with only a few workers compared to hundreds required in other countries. The major difference is that other areas grow tea on hillsides requiring hand harvesting. Here the flat level fields allow machine harvesting.

All in all, we had a fun time here. The staff was quite friendly. I also enjoyed my conversation with Bryn while relaxing in the rocking chairs while we waited for the tour to load on the trolley.

On leaving the Tea Plantation we only had to travel a few miles to visit Irvin-House Vineyards and the Firefly Distillery.

This award wining distillery produces Vodka w/variations with Sweet Tea and fruit flavours; Bourbon; Lemonade. They also have Rum, Southern Liquers and Firefly Moonshine.

They also have various furry folk to visit. Charlotte liked the rabbits. I liked the Three Billy Goats Greffe Gruff (grin)


We passed on the tasting and went next door to the Irvin-House Vineyards Tasting Room and Store.

Retha; our hostess, was really informative as was the video on the history of the vineyard and the Muscadine Grape. This is the oldest cultivated grape in America - dating back to 1594. The Muscadine Grape is gaining popularity as a health food (drink). Resveratrol, found in the skin, pulp and seeds, is an organic molecule and a powerful antioxidant touted as a cholesterol lowering agent. Muscadine wines have 7 times more of this than any other wine.

We did not buy wine; however, we did by a bottle of grape juice (from the dark grape). Muscadine grapes are both dark and light coloured making both red and white wines.

They make 5 wines, both red and white, that range from dry to sweet. All from the light or dark Muscadine grapes grown here.

Our next stop, again, was just a few miles down the road at the Angel Oak. The Angel Oak Tree is a Southern live oak located in Angel Oak Park on Johns Island, SC. The Angel Oak Tree is variously estimated to be at least 400 and as much as 1400-1500 years old, stands 66.5 ft tall, measures 28 ft in circumference, and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet. From tip to tip Its longest branch distance is 187 ft.  The tree stands on land that was part of Abraham Waight's 1717 land grant and derives its name from the estate of Justis and Martha Angel, although local folklore told stories of ghosts of former slaves would appear as angels around the tree. In spite of the popular belief that the Angel Oak is the oldest tree east of the Mississippi River, there are many bald cypress trees throughout the south which are many hundreds of years older. It is certainly impressive to see and worth the stop.

From there we continued on to Folly Island which is similar to the Gulf Shores area in Alabama that we visited last year. It has the seashore; the beaches and the houses. It has very little in the way of commercial stores and restaurants (except for both sides of the main road in about a city block in length.

We drove to both ends. The gates to the park with the best view of the Morris Island Lighthouse was currently closed. Folks apparently walked in to the beach and view. We passed, turned around and headed back. We had expected this area to be like Gulf Shores. The few small restaurants (near the only stoplight) did not interest us so we headed for Charleston proper.

Our choice, since we were thinking seafood, was Marina Variety Store Restaurant at the Municipal Marina in Charleston, SC. The Marina Variety Store Restaurant and the Altine Family have been serving Charleston's favorite local dishes since 1963. Our server, Erica, was excellent and fun to talk with. Our choice tonight was:

Fried Green Tomatoes: Fried green tomatoes topped with grated parmesan cheese served with a honey mustard sauce. It was yummy!

Mike's Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya: Spicy pan roasted shrimp, smoked sausage, onions, peppers, and jalapenos tossed with white wine, marinara sauce, peasant gravy and red rice. We passed on the Jalapenos. Our sides were collard greens and cole slaw. It was really yummy!

We also enjoyed the view overlooking the Marina area.

The 15 minute (top off the Del Sol) ride back to the RV park at sunset was cool and refreshing.

This was another fun day visiting the Charleston, SC area.