Longevity Wines co-founder Phil Long.
The best wines arent just beverages to be consumed socially; they are narratives in a bottle.
Theres an undeniable charm in gathering around the dinner table, uncorking a bottle, and diving into the rich history behind the wines creation. For wine retailers and restaurant sommeliers, the ultimate satisfaction comes from guiding consumers toward discovering these stories and introducing them to new and undiscovered wines. At times, these stories date back centuries, while others are epic narratives in the making. And then some are just beautiful love stories that deserve to be shared.
When Debra and Phil Long moved to Northern California, they immediately caught the wine bug and started making wine in their garage. What started as a hobby turned into a passion project, and then progressed into a full-time job. After years of visiting winery tasting rooms, they realized something was missing a welcoming and inclusive wine experience.
In 2008, winemakers Phil and Debra bet on themselves and opened a tasting room in Livermore Valley. Phil wanted to call the brand Long Family Wines, but Debra objected, jokingly pointing out that none of the family was present to help clean the winery. Debra suggested Longevity Wines as a play on their last name, as well as representing their love for one another and wine. So, at that moment, Longevity Wines was born a family-owned, urban winery and certified minority-owned business.
Similar to how the wine name Longevity symbolizes their mutual affection, the label equally reflects this love. Phil designed the eye-catching heart label that contains hearts, grapevines, and grape leaves. Hearts became symbolic of their bond, as Phil gifted Debra ornamental glass hearts each Valentines Day, leading to a substantial collection over time. This ultimately inspired the iconic Longevity wine bottle label.
The Longevity brand rapidly gained popularity, with people enjoying their visits to their fun, casual, barn-themed tasting room. It was a true Livermore destination. However, in 2016, the unforeseen happened when Debra was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was able to witness the initial growth phases of their cherished business but sadly lost her battle in 2019. Shortly before Debra passed away, Phil honored their deep love with a very large tattoo of their heart logo on his arm, symbolizing that she would always be with him.
Even through tragedy, Longevity lived on. Longevity was named Livermore Valleys Winery of the Year just a few days before Debra passed away and is now Livermore Valleys third-largest wine brand. Phil Long is not only a winemaker and co-founder, but he also currently serves as the president of the Association of African American Vintners (AAAV). Longevity has made appearances on dozens of television shows and even on the Rachael Ray Show with Geoffrey Zakarian cooking with Longevity Cabernet making braised short ribs.
The tasting room offers a large selection of wines to sample including their standout GSM Genuine Soul Mate which is their take on the French Rhone Valley style Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend and a more structured Bordeaux-style blend called phil-osophy. Next time you are out shopping for a bottle of wine, keep an eye out for the Longevity Sparkling Wine, or Phils versatile, crowd-pleasing Longevity Cabernet. And always remember, these wines are a love story in a bottle.
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Women + Wine: The love story behind Longevity Wines - Rough Draft Atlanta
Recommendation and review posted by G. Smith
