Focus on...Longevity Wines, a Black-owned winery

Longevity Wines is a family-owned, urban winery and certified minority-owned business based in the Livermore Valley wine region of Northern California. Founders Debra and Phil Long opened Longevity in 2008 when their winemaking hobby outgrew their garage. By that time, they had spent years visiting tasting rooms and saw a need for inclusive wine experiences.

Winemaker Phil Long is the president of the Association of African American Vintners (AAAV) and the founder of Longevity Wines, a brand based on his love affair with his wife, Debra. They were an interracial couple focused on offering inclusive wine experiences until Debra lost her battle with pancreatic cancer in 2019. Phil personally designed the delicate heart logo on their bottles, then had it tattooed on his forearm before she died so that she will always be with him.

From an Ebony article, titled, “Hidden Black History: Black Winemakers and Wines You Need to Know…” (read it in its entirety here): He is devoted to elevating awareness of African Americans in the wine industry and paving paths to wine careers for all minorities. When it comes to the current state of inclusivity in the wine industry, Long believes that there is a lot of work to do, but change does seem to be happening today at a greater pace than ever before.

Black owned wineries currently make up just a tenth of one percent of the entire industry. Long’s take on the statistic is that African-Americans don't come from a culture of winemaking. But he hopes that creating opportunities for young winemakers of color will become the ground floor of a changing culture.

Here at Acme, we’re grateful to be able to share Longevity’s Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon with you. Wile says, “Come grab a bottle today! You won’t be disappointed.”