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H. 5110
STATUS INFORMATION
House Resolution
Sponsors: Rep. McLeod
Document Path: l:\council\bills\agm\18123ab10.docx
Introduced in the House on June 16, 2010
Adopted by the House on June 16, 2010
Summary: Nicholas Herbemont
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6/16/2010 House Introduced and adopted HJ-18
View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
RECOGNIZING AND HONORING NICHOLAS HERBEMONT (1771-1839), A NATIVE OF THE CHAMPAGNE DISTRICT OF FRANCE, WHO ARRIVED IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN 1807 AND BECAME A VISIONARY VITICULTURALIST KNOWN AS THE FATHER OF AMERICA'S COMMERCIAL VINEYARD AND WINE PRODUCING INDUSTRY, WHILE CONCURRENTLY SERVING AS THE FIRST PROFESSOR OF FRENCH AT SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE DURING THE PERIOD 1807-1839.
Whereas, Nicholas Laurent Michel Herbemont, born in 1771 in the Champagne District of France, settled in 1807 in Columbia as the first professor of French at South Carolina College, and served in that capacity until his death in 1839; and
Whereas, in 1809, he planted his first vineyard in Columbia and began experimenting on a method of growing grapes in South Carolina's soil and climate to use in producing French-style wines; and
Whereas, after a decade and a half of this experimentation, Herbemont devised a new grape-growing technique which overcame disease, rot, and insect predations, and
Whereas, in 1823, Herbemont became the first person to commercially produce wine for the American market; and
Whereas, in 1832, he was proclaimed as the first practicing winemaker of the first generation of wine producers in the United States, because he popularized the grafting of different varieties of grape cuttings on established, disease-resistant rootstocks; he pioneered the development of grapes which thrive in America; he produced American wines for the commercial market; and he memorialized in publications his techniques addressing grape growing and winemaking; and
Whereas, Nicholas Herbemont developed and popularized the Herbemont Madeira variety of grape which is strong and resistant to disease and is unique in that it originated in South Carolina; and
Whereas, Herbemont published a two-installment treatise entitled "Wine Making" in the American Farmer in February of 1833; and
Whereas, Nicholas Herbemont served the State of South Carolina as Chairman of the Board of Public Works starting in 1831, as president of the Board of Regents of the State Asylum, now known as the Department of Mental Health, and as Chairman of the South Carolina Agricultural Society. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the South Carolina House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor Nicholas Herbemont, a native of the Champagne District of France, who arrived in South Carolina in 1807, and became a visionary viticulturalist known as the father of America's commercial vineyard and wine producing industry, while concurrently serving as the first professor of French at South Carolina College from 1807 to 1839.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Richard LaBarre of Newberry County's Enoree River Wines and Vineyard on behalf of the South Carolina Wineries and Grape Growers Association.
This web page was last updated on June 21, 2010 at 1:45 PM