Pioneering American Wine: Writings of Nicholas Herbemont, Master Viticulturist (The Publications of the Southern Texts Society) (The Publications of the Southern Texts Society Ser.)

This volume collects the most important writings on viticulture by Nicholas Herbemont (1771-1839), who is widely considered the finest practicing winemaker of the early United States. Included are his two major treatises on viticulture, thirty-one other published pieces on vine growing and wine making, and essays that outline his agrarian philosophy. Over the course of his career, Herbemont cultivated more than three hundred varieties of grapes in a garden the size of a city block in Columbia, South Carolina, and in a vineyard at his plantation, Palmyra, just outside the city. Born in France, Herbemont carefully tested the most widely held methods of growing, pruning, processing, and fermentation in use in Europe to see which proved effective in the southern environment. His treatise "Wine Making," first published in the American Farmer in 1833, became for a generation the most widely read and reliable American guide to the art of producing potable vintage. David S. Shields, in his introductory essay, positions Herbemont not only as important to the history of viticulture in America but also as a notable proponent of agricultural reform in the South. Herbemont advocated such practices as crop rotation and soil replenishment and was an outspoken critic of slave-based cotton culture. Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction 14 Part One. Maxims 44 Part Two. Treatises 50 An Essay on the Culture of the Grape Vine, and Making of Wine; Suited for the United States, and More Particularly for the Southern States (January–July 1828) 52 Wine Making (January 23, 1833) 99 Part Three. Published Letters on Grape Growing and Wine Making 120 Requisites for Success in Grape Cultivation (January 22, 1820) 122 Acculturation of French Vines (December 6, 1822) 126 On the Culture of the Grape (August 20, 1826) 130 On the Use of Sugar in Making Wine (August 27, 1826) 137 Speech to the Agricultural Society of S.C. on the Benefits of Publicly-Sponsored Grape Cultivation (February 17, 1827) 143 Memorial to the Senate of South Carolina (December 1826) 148 Domestic Wine (December 23, 1826) 152 American Wine (January 18, 1828) 154 Pruning Grape Vines (April 20, 1828) 157 Letter to Nicholas Longworth on the Grape Vine (March 19, 1829) 162 Cultivation of the Grape (August 12, 1829) 170 Letter to Edward Stabler on Wine-Making (September 9, 1829) 174 On the Proper Distance for Planting a Vineyard (December 7, 1829) 180 Pruning Frost-Nipped Vines (March 22, 1830) 185 On the Culture of the Grape Vine, with Observations on the Practice Recommended by Various Writers (March 30, 1830) 189 Letter to an Alabama Planter (July 9, 1830) 196 On the Formation of Vine-Yards of Native Vines, and the Ingrafting of Grape-Vines (September 4, 1830) 202 Table Grapes (October 26, 1830) 208 Herbemont’s Madeira (May 27, 1831) 214 Observations on the Rot of the Grape, and Grafting of Foreign Vines on Native Stocks (September 4, 1831) 216 Afflictions (September 24, 1831) 219 Letter to George Fitzhugh, Jr. (September 2, 1832) 223 Observations on the Planting of the Vine and Rot in Grapes (May 28, 1833) 226 Letter to Edmund Ruffin (November 18, 1833) 232 On the Causes of Failure in Vine Culture and Wine Making (November 15, 1834) 237 Origin of “Herbemont’s Madeira” Grape (February 1835) 243 Difference of the Growth, Culture, and Product of Grape Vines, in the United States and in Europe (April 29, 1836) 245 On the Suitableness of Warm Climates for Wine Making (February 15, 1837) 251 Grape Culture in South Carolina (September 9, 1837) 254 Letter to Sidney Weller on Grape and Silk Culture (March 8, 1838) 258 Part Four. Agrarian Essays 262 Observations Suggested by the Late Occurrences in Charleston, by a Member of the Board of Public Works, of the State of South-Carolina (1822) 264 Address to the President and Members of the United Agricultural Society of South-Carolina, at Their Sitting in Columbia (December 1, 1828) 274 Honesty Is the Best Policy (March 1832) 281 On the Moral Discipline and Treatment of Slaves (February 1836) 288 Bibliographical Essay 294 Bibliography of Primary Sources on Wine Making in America, 1810–1840 302 Index 306 A 306 B 306 C 306 D 307 E 307 F 307 G 308 H 308 I 309 J 309 K 309 L 309 M 309 N 310 O 310 P 310 R 310 S 310 T 311 U 311 V 311 W 312 MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction 14 Part One. Maxims 44 Part Two. Treatises 50 An Essay on the Culture of the Grape Vine, and Making of Wine; Suited for the United States, and More Particularly for the Southern States (January–July 1828) 52 Wine Making (January 23, 1833) 99 Part Three. Published Letters on Grape Growing and Wine Making 120 Requisites for Success in Grape Cultivation (January 22, 1820) 122 Acculturation of French Vines (December 6, 1822) 126 On the Culture of the Grape (August 20, 1826) 130 On the Use of Sugar in Making Wine (August 27, 1826) 137 Speech to the Agricultural Society of S.C. on the Benefits of Publicly-Sponsored Grape Cultivation (February 17, 1827) 143 Memorial to the Senate of South Carolina (December 1826) 148 Domestic Wine (December 23, 1826) 152 American Wine (January 18, 1828) 154 Pruning Grape Vines (April 20, 1828) 157 Letter to Nicholas Longworth on the Grape Vine (March 19, 1829) 162 Cultivation of the Grape (August 12, 1829) 170 Letter to Edward Stabler on Wine-Making (September 9, 1829) 174 On the Proper Distance for Planting a Vineyard (December 7, 1829) 180 Pruning Frost-Nipped Vines (March 22, 1830) 185 On the Culture of the Grape Vine, with Observations on the Practice Recommended by Various Writers (March 30, 1830) 189 Letter to an Alabama Planter (July 9, 1830) 196 On the Formation of Vine-Yards of Native Vines, and the Ingrafting of Grape-Vines (September 4, 1830) 202 Table Grapes (October 26, 1830) 208 Herbemont’s Madeira (May 27, 1831) 214 Observations on the Rot of the Grape, and Grafting of Foreign Vines on Native Stocks (September 4, 1831) 216 Afflictions (September 24, 1831) 219 Letter to George Fitzhugh, Jr. (September 2, 1832) 223 Observations on the Planting of the Vine and Rot in Grapes (May 28, 1833) 226 Letter to Edmund Ruffin (November 18, 1833) 232 On the Causes of Failure in Vine Culture and Wine Making (November 15, 1834) 237 Origin of “Herbemont’s Madeira” Grape (February 1835) 243 Difference of the Growth, Culture, and Product of Grape Vines, in the United States and in Europe (April 29, 1836) 245 On the Suitableness of Warm Climates for Wine Making (February 15, 1837) 251 Grape Culture in South Carolina (September 9, 1837) 254 Letter to Sidney Weller on Grape and Silk Culture (March 8, 1838) 258 Part Four. Agrarian Essays 262 Observations Suggested by the Late Occurrences in Charleston, by a Member of the Board of Public Works, of the State of South-Carolina (1822) 264 Address to the President and Members of the United Agricultural Society of South-Carolina, at Their Sitting in Columbia (December 1, 1828) 274 Honesty Is the Best Policy (March 1832) 281 On the Moral Discipline and Treatment of Slaves (February 1836) 288 Bibliographical Essay 294 Bibliography of Primary Sources on Wine Making in America, 1810–1840 302 Index 306 A 306 B 306 C 306 D 307 E 307 F 307 G 308 H 308 I 309 J 309 K 309 L 309 M 309 N 310 O 310 P 310 R 310 S 310 T 311 U 311 V 311 W 312

This volume collects the most important writings on viticulture by Nicholas Herbemont (1771-1839), who is widely considered the finest practicing winemaker of the early United States. Included are his two major treatises on viticulture, thirty-one other published pieces on vine growing and wine making, and essays that outline his agrarian philosophy. Over the course of his career, Herbemont cultivated more than three hundred varieties of grapes in a garden the size of a city block in Columbia, South Carolina, and in a vineyard at his plantation, Palmyra, just outside the city.

Born in France, Herbemont carefully tested the most widely held methods of growing, pruning, processing, and fermentation in use in Europe to see which proved effective in the southern environment. His treatise "Wine Making," first published in the American Farmer in 1833, became for a generation the most widely read and reliable American guide to the art of producing potable vintage.

David S. Shields, in his introductory essay, positions Herbemont not only as important to the history of viticulture in America but also as a notable proponent of agricultural reform in the South. Herbemont advocated such practices as crop rotation and soil replenishment and was an outspoken critic of slave-based cotton culture.

"This volume collects the most important writings on viticulture by Nicholas Herbemont (1771-1839), who is widely considered the finest practicing winemaker of the early United States. Included are his two major treatises on viticulture, thirty-one other published pieces on vine growing and wine making, and essays that outline his agrarian philosophy. Over the course of his career, Herbemont cultivated more than three hundred varieties of grapes in a garden the size of a city block in Columbia, South Carolina, and in a vineyard at his plantation, Palmyra, just outside the city." "David S. Shields, in his introductory essay, positions Herbernont not only as important to the history of viticulture in America but also as a notable proponent of agricultural reform in the South. Herbemont advocated such practices as crop rotation and soil replenishment and was an outspoken critic of slave-based cotton culture." --Book Jacket