Diversity at the Wine Table: Interview with Phil Long of Longevity Wines
In early 2020, vintner Phil Long was on the verge of something big. The founder and winemaker for Livermore Valley’s Longevity Wines had inked a major deal to make and distribute his wines nationally just as he stepped into a new role as president of the Association of African American Vintners (AAAV). Two big steps forward, but this was never the path he expected to follow.
“First of all, I never wanted to be a Black winemaker,” says Long. Growing up in Southern California’s Inglewood community, Long was jamming on sports, and winemaking was not remotely in his plans. In fact, save for his father’s basket-covered bottle of Chianti, wine was not even on the table.
“I didn’t even know . . . did we make wine in this country?” Long says. Even as an architecture student at Cal Poly Pomona, Long didn’t realize there was wine being made right next door in the agriculture department. He calls this unawareness “the first stumbling block, not even knowing what wine is at all in the culture.”
That changed when he and wife, Debra, moved to Northern California and began developing a taste for the fermented juice of grapes. As this passion grew, the couple started making wine together in their garage. They upgraded their operation by renting space at Livermore wineries, obtaining a wholesale distributors license, and starting an online wine club.
“At some point we were either gonna throw the hat in or pull it out,” Long recalls. They decided to go all in. In 2008, the couple launched their first commercial vintage, eponymously naming both their Rhône-style blend and their new winery “Longevity.” Further, to symbolize the winery’s romantic origins, the label’s logo is made up of vines intertwined with hearts inspired by the glass hearts that Mr. Long gave to Mrs. Long each Valentine’s Day.
As Long began pouring Longevity wines at Black History Month events, he was struck by how few African American winemakers and winery owners were represented, and he wondered if the wine industry was even less diverse than he had wanted to believe. What would it take to address that diversity gap, increase awareness about African American wines and encourage more BIPOC to participate in the wine industry? Could he and others embrace a commitment to making that change?
“I decided to embrace it,” Long says. However, that would not be his only challenge.
On a Sunday morning in 2011, Long was working alone in the winery when a barrel fell from the top of a four-barrel-high stack and landed on his head, cracking his skull open and leaving him on the floor gravely injured. Fortunately, Debra arrived shortly afterwards, as did paramedics who took him to the local ER. Once stabilized, he was transferred to Santa Clara Medical Center where he spent several months in rehab.
“We were about to expand [wine production] to four times the size, and right at that moment, that [accident] happened,” Long says. “At some point during rehab, I realized ‘As long as I can still taste, I think we should move forward,’ so we did.”
Plus, the Longs were not alone; the Livermore wine community rallied around the couple with people like Thomas Coyne, Long’s good friend and mentor, showing up by Long’s side. “Let’s get to work,” Coyne said.
"‘As long as I can still taste, I think we should move forward,’ so we did.”
As Longevity grew, Long became more involved in minority-focused events. He developed a friendship with fellow African American winemaker Edward Lee McDonald of Sonoma’s Vision Cellars, who was also the Association of African American Vintners founder and president. Long didn’t realize it yet, but McDonald was grooming him as his AAAV replacement. Still, it was only after McDonald invited the Longs to pour at one of the association’s wine symposiums that he called Long to say, “Hey, man, we need you.”
Tragedy, however, struck again. Debra was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in 2016, and passed in January 2019. Before she died, Long took her with him as he got their heart logo tattooed on his arm.
When McDonald retired as AAAV’s president in January 2020, Long took on the role. He put a spotlight on the association’s mission of raising awareness that African American winemakers exist and of seeing to it that paths are opened to wine industry careers. Long says young people of color have little idea that making wine, owning a winery, or working in the wine industry are even options. To that end, AAAV offers scholarships with an emphasis on candidates’ plans for making the industry more diverse. Long has also added events such as Wine Enthusiast magazine’s recent Paths to Success webinar.
When the Black Lives Matter social movement erupted anew in summer 2020, Long says the world changed.
“It wasn’t just a color issue, it became a human issue to a lot more of the public who weren’t comfortable talking about it before,” he says. “It is not just support from African Americans; it is support across the board, from human beings who are wanting to support what is right.”
Membership in AAAV ballooned from less than 20 to more than 100 members, and donations have increased as well. Now Long is looking for long-term partners who want to keep this conversation and momentum going.
On a parallel track, he is also expanding the Longevity wine brand through partnerships and national distribution. The national launch of a new Longevity label which begain in March 2020 is now picking back up, and white-label Longeivity Chardonnay and Cabernet are available at large retailers. During February 2021, Longevity Wines, along with Long’s photo were on displays at every Total Wine & More store in the country.
As Long looks ahead, the table and tent for diversity in winemaking seems to be getting bigger.
“What gives me hope is seeing larger [California] winemakers and companies making serious commitments,” he says of how they are making space for an increasingly diverse set of winemakers. “These are the kinds of efforts we haven’t seen before. But you can’t rest on your laurels.”
