Bordered by Bohicket Creek to the east and the Wadmalaw Sound to the west, the island’s only connection to land is a bridge over Church Creek to neighboring Johns Island. Wadmalaw has remained intensely rural over the years, with farming, fishing, and shrimping serving as the traditional occupations of its residents.

Wadmalaw Island is famed for its produce and abundance of u-pick farms. It’s also home to the Charleston Tea Plantation, Irvin-House Vineyard, and the Firefly Distillery.

Many thanks to Ralph Preston of Murrells Inlet for sharing this photo.

The Charleston Tea Plantation is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday. Each year in May, they organize the First Flush Festival to celebrate the first harvest of new tea leaves.

Wadmalaw Island enjoys a micro-climate that enables the tea plants – Camellia sinensis – to survive. The sandy soil also provides good drainage, essential to the tea plant’s well-being.

Read our Charleston Tea Plantation article from SCIWAY News.

Visit the Charleston Tea Plantation’s website here.

The vineyard is a member of the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor Farmer’s Association. The Heritage Corridor cuts across 240 miles, including coastal regions, mountains, and plains.

Visitors are encouraged to stop by the Winery and Tasting Room at Irvin-House Vineyards. Here, they are allowed to sample each of the five wines and purchase bottles to take home with them. There is also an assortment of gifts and locally produced food items.

Read our article on Irvin-House Vineyard and Firefly Vodka.