NOLADrinks Show – Livermore Valley Wine – Jul20Ep2

On this edition of The NOLADrinks Show with Bryan Dias, we talk about the historic Livermore Valley wine region located in the San Francisco Bay Area. We welcome the Executive Director of the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association, Chris Chandler, and owner/winemaker of Longevity Wines and President of the Association of African American Vintners, Phil Long.

Pictured above from left – Phil Long, owner/winemaker of Longevity Wines and President of the Association of African American Vintners and Executive Director of the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association, Chris Chandler.

NOLADrinks Show – Livermore Valley Wine – Jul20Ep2

We kick-off the show letting you know what’s up on this episode. We also touch on some covid-19 related topics as it relates to the hospitality industry.

Then, we have our featured interview with Chris Chandler, Executive Director of the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association, and Phil Long, owner/winemaker of Longevity Wines. Phil is also the President of the Association of African American Vintners.

We discuss the historic Livermore Valley wine region located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Found northeast of San Jose and southeast of Oakland, this special viticultural area has been in the winemaking game since the first half of the 19th century. Chris gives us a brief overview of the region’s history.

Phil and Chris let us know about the terroir and some of the varietals that thrive in the area. This includes many winegrapes that have come into their own in the Livermore Valley in recent years. Of course, we sample some terrific expressions from the region. Phil lets us know about his program at Longevity Wines, as well.

Pictured above – Delicious Livermore Valley Wines tasted for this episode.

Both Chris and Phil stick around for our exclusive podcast-only segment, “Another Shot with NOLADrinks.” We discuss inclusivity in the wine industry including noting the growing numbers of female winemakers in the valley.

Phil, who is one of only a few black winery owners and winemakers, discusses this. Importantly, he lets us know about his involvement in the Association of African American Vintners. Serving as the organization’s current president, he tells us about some of the critical work they do promoting diversity across all aspects of the wine industry.

We close things out with “Parting Shot” on doing your part and taking individual responsibility in a covid world and some thoughts on enforcement connected to the hospitality industry.

The map below shows the location of the Livermore Valley appellation. You can subscribe to, stream, and download The NOLADrinks Show with Bryan Dias podcast using the links and player at the top of the post.

Cheers and Be Well, You All!

~ Bryan