Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Long, Zelma Papers
- Dates:
- 1931-2024
- Abstract:
- This collection contains documents, photographs, and news clippings related to Zelma Long and her long career in the Viticulture and Enology field. Featured subjects within this collection include papers related to her time managing wineries such as Robert Mondavi Winery, Simi Winery, Long Vineyards, Zelphi Wines, and business files related to her consultancy work. There are also materials pertaining to international travel, and subject files relating to the wine industry.
- Extent:
- 28.6 linear feet
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Long, Zelma Papers. D-699, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, University of California, Davis.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This collection contains documents, photographs, and news clippings related to Zelma Long and her long career in the Viticulture and Enology field. Featured subjects within this collection include papers related to her time managing wineries such as Robert Mondavi Winery, Simi Winery, Long Vineyards, Zelphi Wines, and business files related to her consultancy work. There are files on different presentations that Long gave and conferences and symposiums that she attended and organized over the years. Also included are travel papers and journals pertaining to overseas business trips, and subject files relating to wine research that Long acquired over the years. Additionally there are mementos that Long collected documenting her career, such as wine tasting menus, name tags from various events, and press clippings and awards depicting Long's many accomplishments.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Zelma Long
Zelma Long is a well-known trailblazer in the wine industry, making her mark in the history books as both a winemaker and a businesswoman, while simultaneously carving a path forward for other women to follow. Described as "one of America's best-known winemakers" and well known for "cultivating premium wines with scientific rigor, focus, and discipline for more than a40 years" (Cissna 2024), Long is referred to many times over as a pioneer in the world of California wine. Her many awards and achievements, while impressive on their own, are even more monumental when viewed through the lens of history, as Long was only the second woman to break into the California wine business. Long's ability to not only thrive, but also to achieve greatness in an industry that was not accustomed to opening doors for women is a true testament to her hard work, along with the skills and dedication she brought to the table. Furthermore, Long was not satisfied with simply opening the door, and throughout her career she made great strides to hold that door open and usher in as many women as possible into the ever-changing wine industry.
Long was born in Oregon and graduated as Valedictorian of her high school class in 1961. From there she attended Oregon State University, where she earned a degree in General Science and a minor in Nutrition. After graduating in 1965 she worked as a dietician in the Bay Area but did not feel fulfilled in her chosen career. Her interest turned to wine after her first husband's parents purchased a vineyard, and Zelma and Bob Long subsequently relocated from the Bay Area to Napa Valley. When Zelma Long entered the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology program in 1968 she was only the second woman to do so, following in the footsteps of MaryAnn Graf. She attended the program until 1970 but did not finish her degree. As Long explains, "I meant to get a master's degree, but it got interrupted by a job as an enologist at Robert Mondavi Winery," (Lansing 2013). She worked at Mondavi Winery until 1979, where she rose to the rank of chief enologist. Then in 1979 she took a job as a winemaker at Simi Winery in Healdsburg. In 1989 she was named CEO at Simi, one of the first women to hold an executive position at a winery, and one of the first women to run both the winemaking and business side of a California winery. She later served as Vice President of Chandon Estates, before starting her consulting business in 1999.
During her tenure at Mondavi and Simi, Long was also involved with running her family winery, Long Vineyards, from 1976 until about 2005 (Gilbert 2025). Her consulting work brought her local clients in California, Washington, and Oregon, as well as international clients in Argentina, Israel, Germany, Italy, France, and South Africa. From 1997-2024 Long cofounded and served as winemaker and partner at Vilafonte Wines in South Africa along with her second husband, Phil Freese and Mike Ratcliffe. Vilafonte was the first winery in South Africa that focused on luxury wines, and with Long's guidance, Vilafonte proceeded to win Outstanding Red Wine Producer and Outstanding Wine Producer of the Year in 2021 at the International Wine and Spirits Competition. In 2024 Long sold her stakes in Vilafonte (Gilbert 2025).
In addition to their work with Vilafonte Wines, Long and Freese formed Zelphi Wines in the early 2000s. Two wineries operate under the Zelphi label: Simunye of South Africa, and Sibyl of Germany (Decanter Staff 2002). Long also founded the American Vineyard Foundation in 1978, serving as its first president. She also founded the American Viticulture and Enology Research Network (AVERN)(Buzzeo 2023, Matasar 2006).
Solidifying her status as "trailblazing pioneer" for women looking to enter the wine industry, Long made concentrated efforts throughout her career to help those looking to follow her. Matasar writes in her book "Women of Wine" that "among women in the wine industry, Zelma's mentoring efforts are legendary……by providing internships, jobs, promotions, and encouragement to qualified women as well as men, she has opened new avenues for women in California's wine industry." (Matasar 2006, 90). Long herself states "If I can do anything that either encourages or furthers the careers of younger women, I'm glad and proud of it" (Matasar 2006, 90) (Sheahan 1987).
Long has been graced with many honors and awards over her illustrious career, including induction into the Culinary Institute of America's Vintners Hall of Fame, (only the second woman to achieve that honor, and the James Beard Hall of Fame. She also received a Merit Award from the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV), was named California Wine pioneer by Wine Spectator in 1993, won the MASI award in 1993 and was named Woman of the Year (Lansing 2013).
In recent years, Long has taken time away from the wine industry to focus on her other passion, the arts, specifically Native American and Buddhist art. In 2020 she earned a Ph.D. in Performance Studies, with an emphasis on Native American Studies from UC Davis. When reflecting on her life and achievements in an interview for her alma mater, Oregon State University, Long remarked: "I feel I was put on earth with certain potential, and I want to make the most of that. I think that's an expectation for every person – to know who they are and make the most of it" (Cissna 2024).
Sources
Buzzeo, Lauren. "Industry Icon Zelma Long Is Passionate about Hiring and Mentoring Women | Wine Enthusiast." Wine Enthusiast, May 8, 2023. https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/wine/women-winemaker-zelma-long/.
Chan, Kacey. "Raise a Glass to Three Pioneering Women Winemakers during Women's History Month." UC Davis Library, March 20, 2025. Accessed July 9, 2025. https://library.ucdavis.edu/news/raise-a-glass-to-three-pioneering-women-winemakers-during-womens-history-month/.
Cissna, Tamara. "Zelma Long, Pioneer in California Wines, Cultivates Premium Wines with Scientific Rigor: College of Science: Oregon State University." College of Science | Oregon State University, September 25, 2024. Accessed July 9, 2025. https://science.oregonstate.edu/IMPACT/2019/09/2019-distinguished-alumni-achievement-award-winner-a-visionary-leader-in-the-winemaking-landscape.
Decanter Staff. "Golan Heights Hires Top Woman Winemaker." Decanter, May 28, 2015. https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/golan-heights-hires-top-woman-winemaker-105678/.
Elkjer, Thom. "Zelma Goes Long / California Pioneer Finds Independence in South Africa." SFGate, January 5, 2006. https://www.sfgate.com/wine/article/Zelma-goes-long-California-pioneer-finds-2544528.php.
Lansing, Roger. "Zelma Long's Journey from Winemaker to Winegrower." Wine Business, November 7, 2013. https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/124131.
Lechmere, Adam. "Life Lessons with Winemaker Zelma Long." Club Oenologique, July 18, 2022. https://cluboenologique.com/story/life-lessons-with-winemaker-zelma-long/.
Matasar, Ann B. Women of Wine : The Rise of Women in the Global Wine Industry. 1st ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520930704.
Sheahan, Randy. "Zelma Long and the New Simi." Quarterly Review of Wines, Autumn 1987, pg. 30.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Elizabeth Wood in 2025.
- Arrangement:
-
This collection is arranged into 12 series.
1. Vineyard Files
1.1 Robert Mondavi Winery. 1.2 Simi Winery. 1.3 Chandon Estates and Moet and Chandon. 1.4 Long Vineyard. 1.5 Zelphi Wines/South Africa-Simunye, Germany-Sibyl. 1.6 Vilafonte/South Africa. 1.7 Consulting Work/Client Folders.
2. Planners
3. Presentations
3.1 Presentations given by Zelma. 3.2 Symposiums and Conferences. 3.3 Badges and Nametags.
4. Travel
5. Subject Files/Wine Technical Papers
6. Soil Surveys
7. Personal Materials
7.1 Notebooks. 7.2 Correspondence and Miscellanea
8. Press Clippings
9. Menus and Wine Tastings
10. Awards
11. Phillip Freese Correspondence
12. Multimedia Materials
12.1 Photographs. 12.2 Slides.
- Physical location:
- This collection is stored off-site at the Northern Regional Library Facility. Researchers should contact Archives and Special Collections to request collections in advance.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-10-27 16:50:22 -0700 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
-
Copyright is protected by the copyright law, chapter 17, of the U.S. Code. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Collections, University of California, Library, Davis as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Long, Zelma Papers. D-699, Archives and Special Collections, UC Davis Library, University of California, Davis.
- Location of this collection:
-
University of California, Davis, Special Collections, UC Davis Library100 NW QuadDavis, CA 95616-5292, US
- Contact:
- (530) 752-1621