Wines made from Herbemont grapes of Brazil
Discover the best wines made with Herbemont as a single variety or as a blend of Brazil.
The origin of this American interspecific hybrid of the southern Vitis Aestivalis group, also called Vitis Bourquiniana, is not known for certain. In South Carolina (United States), it was propagated in the early 1800s by a Frenchman, Nicholas Herbemont (1771-1839), who found his first origins in Champagne. In France, it is one of six hybrids prohibited since 1935 (included in European regulations): Clinton, Herbemont, Isabelle, Jacquez, Noah and Othello. The Herbemont is very similar to the Jacquez - also called black spanish or lenoir - and has practically disappeared in favour of the latter.
With about 83,000 hectares of Vineyard">Vineyards, it ranks just behind its close neighbours, Argentina and Chile, in terms of cultivated area. Only a small portion (about 10%) of these hectares are planted with Vitis vinifera vines, but this large area does not translate into large volumes of quality wine. Concerted efforts are underway to improve this ratio. Although not yet recognized internationally, the quality of Brazilian wines is increasing year by year.