Charleston City Paper: Digs, December 2022

Andy Brack; Roualeyn de Haas

Digs, our monthly home-focused publication, connects the people who make the Lowcountry special with content they’ve been missing. Digs gets up close and personal with stories on local personalities, home design and remodeling, plants and gardening, home repair and real estate. To learn more about advertising opportunities offered through Digs, contact our advertising team at (843) 577-5304 or send an email to: sales@charlestoncitypaper.com. Dig it!

Published by City Paper Publishing, LLC

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Proud member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia and the South Carolina Press Association.

Members: J. Edward Bell | Andrew C. Brack

DIGGING THE GRAPE

A good bottle of wine will kick up a celebration a notch

By Michael Pham

The season of giving has arrived. Friends, families and coworkers gather together to share laughs, eat good meals and drink until they’re warm and fuzzy. But those holiday gatherings bring pres sure to present something tasty and delicious: There’s not enough time to cook a hearty meal to impress everyone, and you don’t want to get a pre-made meal from a grocery store. What’s a quick option? Wine, of course. Just about everyone loves wine, even if they say they don’t (especially after a glass or two).

Fortunately, Charleston is ripe with bottle shops and sommeliers

Whites

“I’m going to France here. I think chenin blanc is amazing this time of year. Domaine Huet’s ‘Le Mont’ Sec Vouvray is an abso lute stunner for those who want to blow someone away with a rich and round white wine.” —Kevin Regan, Rooted Bottle Market and Bar, Mount Pleasant.

“I recommend Stephane Tissot Chardonnay. It’s a ‘patchwork’ blend of different vineyards that result in a per fectly balanced, nuanced white that is salty, fresh and delicious.” —Matthew Conway, Tippling House, Charleston.

“R & D Selections White Pinot Noir. People seem surprised to see a white pinot noir so I wanted to share this. This partic ular wine is based out of California with tasting notes of oak, nectarine, umami and vanilla.” —Natasha Cline, Uncork Charleston, Charleston.

Reds

to help guide you through picking the best wines.

“For me, gift wine does depend on the person,” said Kevin Regan, owner of Mount Pleasant’s Rooted Bottle Market and Bar. “If I know their preferences, it’s easy to pick for them. However, for the most part I’m sticking to classics as gifts. I’d most likely be snagging some French, Italian or Spanish classics too.”

He provided an extra tip: “I think a decanter is always a good gift for a wine lover because it can be used or decorative or both.”

Here are some recommendations for three kinds of wines — whites, reds and bubbles — to take to a holiday party, followed by some places to snag a bottle of wine from local shops.

Bubbles

“I’d be snagging from France or Spain here. For French, my go-to would be from Burgundy. A wine I’m digging right now would be Domaine Ragot Givry ‘Teppe Des Cheneves’ and from Spain, you can’t beat the quality for price from Lopez Heredia out of Rioja. Their Vina Tondonia is amazing. I love all their offerings and you can’t go wrong with any of them. Neither of these reds break the bank for their quality.” —Kevin Regan.

“I LOVE what my buddy Patrick is doing at Monte Rio Cellars — Old vine reds from Lodi that are made naturally with low alcohol. They over-deliver for their very rea sonable prices so you can gift two or three instead of one bottle.” —Matthew Conway.

“Catena Malbec out of Mendoza, Argentina. It has tasting notes of toasted almond, oak, cherry, blackberry and orange. The vines here are protected by huge rocks that help control the temperatures of the root system, a truly beautiful display of how the earth works together to make the perfect condi tions for these vines.” —Natasha Cline.

“I’m absolutely grabbing some Champagne! Depending on the budget I’m buying Vilmart & Cie ‘Grand Cellier’ or Pierre Paillard ‘Les Parcelles.’ Both are absolute stunners for the price and truly amazing.”

Kevin Regan.

“Dame Jeanne is the best ‘affordable’ bubbles. The daughter of the winemaker at Marie Courtin in Champagne is making a 100% Pinot Noir called ‘Premise’ that is extraordinary.” —Matthew Conway

“Argyle Brut from Oregon, consisting of two varietals: chardonnay and pinot noir. Tasting notes of honey, apple, brioche and lemon curd. Oregon is one of my favorite growing regions, and this sparkling house follows closely in influence to its French roots.” —Natasha Cline, Charleston.

Where to get wines

Accent on Wine Park Circle

1056 E. Montague Ave. (North Charleston) (843) 203-4536 • Accentonwinepc.com

Mon.-Wed., 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thurs., 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Avondale Wine & Cheese

813 Savannah Hwy. (West Ashley) (843) 769-5444 • Avondalechs.com Mon.-Wed., 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Thurs.-Sat. Noon to 9 p.m.

Bottles Beverage Superstore

610 Coleman Drive (Mount Pleasant) (843) 849-9463 • ShopBottles.com Mon.–Sat., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Graft Wine Shop & Bar

700b King St. (Downtown) (843) 718-3359 • Graftchs.com Daily, noon to 10 p.m.

Herd Provisions

106 Grove St. (Downtown) (843) 637-4145 • Herdprovisions.com Mon. 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Tues.-Thurs., Noon to 9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., Noon to 10 p.m.

Monarch Wine Merchants

1107 King St. Suite B (Downtown) (843) 576-4845

Monarchwinemerchants.com

Open Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sun., noon to 5 p.m.

Rooted Bottle Market and Bar

3510 Park Avenue Blvd. (Mount Pleasant) (843) 654-9748 • Rootedbottleshop.com Tues.-Thurs., 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

SAVI Cucina + Wine Bar

1324 Theater Drive (Mount Pleasant) (843) 606-1856 • Savicucina.com

Sun.-Thurs., 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The Tippling House

221 Coming St. (Downtown)

Thetipplinghousechs.com

Tues.-Thurs., 4 p.m. 9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Uncork Charleston

476 King St. (Downtown)

Uncorkchs.com

Thurs.-Sat., 1 p.m. to midnight; Sun. and Wed., 1 p.m. 9 p.m.

The Wine Shop of Charleston

3 Lockwood Drive (Downtown) (843) 577-3881

thewineshopofcharleston.com

Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Gettyimages.com

De Haas blends conservation, preservation into a full life

By Andy Brack

Roualeyn de Haas’ Dutch-African name is such a mouthful that it’s easier for Southerners just to call him “Rou” (rhymes with “you”).

Born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, de Haas came to the United States about 20 years ago. For several years, the self-described “gearhead” imported equipment for off-road vehicles. Then he served for seven years as a senior sales manager at the South Carolina Aquarium. In 2021, he joined the Historic Charleston Foundation as director of marketing.

And while his current job provides great variety through coor dinating communications, marketing and public relations for the preservation-focused foundation, it’s de Haas’ side-gig that allows him to keep a connection with his African boyhood. How? He coordinates and plans high-end luxury safaris using contacts gleaned from relationships developed through the years since col lege in South Africa.

“I’ve always been in conservation and now I’m in preserva tion,” he said recently, sharing coffee in the kitchen of his West Ashley ranch home off Orange Grove Road. “I am familiar with the language — and the urgency — of protecting things” here in Charleston and in Africa among wildlife.

Going on safari

As an organizer of high-end safaris, de Haas coordinates 10-day trips for individuals and groups to spend in the African bush to take photographs of animals like lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos and the African or Cape buffalo. These, he says, are the “Big Five” that most people want to make sure they view in the wild.

As a safari organizer, he arranges and sometimes goes on trips that generally include travels to private reserves adjacent to mas sive national parks.

“I only do private reserves,” he said, explaining that in national parks, vehicles can’t go off-road. But animals, he noted, often don’t use roads. They just go wherever they want. So if you’re spending

Andy Brack

De Haas on the back porch of his West Ashley home.

a bunch of money to see animals in the wild, you need to be able to follow them to where they’re going, which generally ends up being near a watering hole.

“We want people to photograph the Big Five because that’s the ‘wow factor,’ ” he said. “But there’s so much more — the primates, antelopes, and little things to see, like the aardvarks and meerkats. Hyenas have one of the most interesting social structures you’ll learn about.”

Typical safaris arranged by Pioneer Africa Exclusive Safaris include arranged travel to three private game reserves, including two nights along the Zambezi River at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe for a visit to Victoria Falls, three nights to the Okavango Delta in Botswana and three nights adjacent to South Africa’s Kruger National Forest, a 7,500 square-mile pro tected area that’s the size of the state of New Jersey. At the front and back ends of the trip are stops at Johannesburg, South Africa.

The typical day on safari

De Haas outlines the typical day on safari, an ambi tious and not inexpensive venture.

“People don’t realize how tiring a day of safari is — how tired they can get,” he said. “You’re in the fresh air and sun and have excitement with the animals coming and going. By 10 in the evening, they’re tired.”

Travelers generally stay in high-end camps, not tents, in private reserves. Typically there are about a dozen structures that hold two people each.

Those on safari wake up early and eat a light break fast. They then head to trucks from around 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., when they return for a brunch, followed by a siesta. In mid-afternoon, they return to vehicles and stay out until 7 p.m. or sunset to take advantage of views. (Animals often head to water sites at dawn and dusk.) They return to the camp for a late dinner and retire for the night, only to do it again the next day.

“Because animals tend to congregate along water, you get to see [in Zambia] crocodiles, hyenas, elephants and tons of bird life.”

On a recent trip, de Haas took more than 3,000 photos, some of which are displayed with this story.

Back in Charleston

When not at work at the Historic Charleston Foundation, de Haas keeps busy with raising his son and feeding self-admitted addictions to various “gear” — equipment related to Land Rovers and outdoor activities such as biking, photography, hiking, camping and traveling. He’s got one 2006 Land Rover that he uses daily and a 1973 one that he’s restoring slowly in a garage crammed with vehicle parts.

De Haas also keeps ties with South Africa by chairing Project Rhino Charleston. It raises money to fund anti-poaching efforts in Africa. Among its past accomplishments was establishment in 2016 of an antipoaching base camp in South Africa that is a place to train people to fight rhino poaching.

It’s just one way he’s trying to make an impact. But he encourages everyone to do what they can to improve their communities or the world.

“It can be overwhelming,” de Haas admitted. “So you look at what you can control and when you can have impact.

“That’s how I feel about conservation. If you look at the big picture and what’s at stake, it would be easy to think we have no hope. But if everybody does some thing regularly, like raising money for rhinos, you’re having an impact.”

THE LOWDOWN ON ROUALEYN DE HAAS

Age: 48.

Birthplace: Gweru, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

Education: Business management degree from Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa.

Current profession: Director of marketing, Historic Charleston Foundation; Owner, Pioneer Africa Exclusive Safaris.

Past professions of interest: Safari guide in southern Africa; Importer of off-road vehicle products.

Family: Son, Elliot.

Pets: Shumba, Golden Retriever, 12.

Something people would be surprised to learn about you: Broke my neck at 22 in a motorcycle accident. Paralyzed from the neck down for 2 1/2 months.

Favorite thing to do outside of work: Be on safari, drive my car, tinker.

Your passion: Land Rovers; photography; and gear. “I’m a gearhead.”

Books on bedside table: The Land Rover Story, by Dave Phillips; Overkill: The Race to Save Africa’s Wildlife, by James Clarke.

Favorite foods to eat: Pizza, Mexican, Indian, Bobotie [a South African ground beef casserole].

Favorite food to cook: Steak and traditional meals from South Africa.

Favorite cocktail or beverage: “I don’t drink much but vodka and ginger ale. Or tequila.”

Five foods you always need in your refrigerator: Cheese, milk, grapes, eggs, apples.

Three people (alive or dead) you’d like to dine with: Keanu Reeves, Steve McQueen and David Attenborough.

Something that you have too much of at home: Laundry Hobbies: “My cars — 1973 Land Rover Series lll, 1997 Porsche Boxster, 2006 Land Rover LR3; photography, camping, mountain biking, karate.”

Guilty pleasures: Chocolate, baked goods and procrastination.

Describe your best day in 50 words or less: “Day drives with my son. Top down cruising a country road. Stopping for lunch and ice cream and playing our favorite music. End with a sunset and pizza at the beach.”

Pet peeve: “Bad driving, especially no turn signals and driving in the turning lane. Inconsiderate people.”

Philosophy: “1. In order to fill the cup, you must first empty it — Zen Proverb; 2. Don’t be a dick.”

Your advice for someone new to Charleston: “Take a tour; learn about your city. Join a meetup group.”

Photos by Roualeyn de Haas

De Haas took more than 3,000 photos on a recent safari.

Plant

are perfect, practical for the holidays

By Toni Reale, special to Digs

Gift-giving season is here and so is the opportunity to celebrate your indoor plant lover with something thoughtful.

While not as exciting on the surface, useful plant care gifts will light up your plant lovers’ heart. Consider coupling a few of these practical items that will show the recipient that you also care about the health of their beloved plant collection. Additionally, it shows the recipient that you value the time and effort they spend on caring for them. Let them know that they and their passions are seen and appreciated.

A pair of thin-bladed shears are useful for pruning most indoor plants. Their thin, delicate leaves and stems require a sharp cut when trimming to avoid damage to the plant which could leave it susceptible to disease. Couple a new pair of shears with high quality organic indoor plant fertilizer and soil. When spring comes and their plants move out of their winter dormancy phase, they’ll be ready to repot their plants to encourage new growth.

Hand-held misters can be stylish, but studies show that even habitual misting does not make a real impact on the longterm health of the plant. Most of the water sprayed from a mister evaporates from the leaves long before the plant can process it. What misting does is provide an opportunity to engage in the overall care of the plants which is a boost for the mental health of the plant parent. So if your goal with this gift is more for the plant parent than the plant, be sure to mention that the thought behind this gift is so that they can spend more time

observing and caring for their plants. Any basic warm-mist humidifier can be a game changer for house plants espe cially during the winter months when the heat is turned on and the air becomes dry. Use humidifiers only for those plants that would benefit from it. Snake plants, cacti and succulents do not need the additional humidity. If their plants are spread out, be sure they know to move them to one area to get the most benefit from the humidifier.

Give the gift of plant experiences

By far the best gifts are experiential gifts. Roadside Blooms and other plant shops around town host workshops which are fun, hands-on and educational. Be sure to get more than one ticket or gift card for two tickets so that if you can’t go with them they can bring someone to experience the class with them. Roadside Blooms, for example, offers a four-month in-person plant class called Plantmate, where each month reveals a new surprise plant. Participants learn about the natural history of the plant, how to pot it, care for it, and propagate it. The best part is making other plant-minded friends. Kids love giving handmade ‘coupons’ for things like “family outing of your choice,” “day off from chores,” “one-hour uninter rupted nap” (my personal favorite), etc. Why not give the most precious thing that we have, time? Give a coupon for a day of help repotting in the spring, weekly plant care help for one month, or a day hitting up their favorite local plant shops.

And then there are great plants

If

If

easy such as a snake plant, zz-plant or pothos. With minimal care they will begin to build their confidence and be ready for the next challenge.

If they have a solid plant collection, try to find out what plants are on their wish list or ask your favorite plant shop which plants are most unique.

If you have the time and plants, propa gate one of your beloved plants and gift it with a little note on why it’s beloved, where it came from, and how to care for it. The thought behind that will go a long way.

Toni Reale is the owner of Roadside Blooms, a unique flower and plant shop in Park Circle in North Charleston. It specializes in weddings, events and everyday deliveries using nearly 100% American- and locally grown blooms. Online at roadsideblooms.com.

4610 Spruill Ave., Suite 102, North Charleston.

Photos by gettyimages.com

A good pair of thin blade pruning shears makes a great gift for the plant-lover in your life.

Snake plants are perfect gifts for the first-time plant parent.