CJ McCollum

Professional athlete CJ McCollum has played in the NBA for 11 years, having been drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2013 and traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in February of 2022. He also serves as president of the National Basketball Players Association, a role he assumed in 2021.
Studying at Lehigh University from 2009 through 2013, McCollum’s now-wife Elise introduced him to wine during college. His serendipitous move to Oregon allowed him to expand upon this budding passion and, in 2020, he announced his signature wine label in partnership with Adelsheim Vineyard, McCollum Heritage 91.

McCollum’s first release under his new brand was the 2018 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, which went on sale in September of 2020 and sold out in just 45 minutes. Recent releases include a 2021 Chehalem Mountains Chardonnay, 2021 Bryan Creek Pinot Noir, and a 2017 Sparkling Blanc de blancs. McCollum also released a 2020 Chardonnay in partnership with the One Barrel Challenge, a collaborative effort to create opportunities for those from diverse backgrounds to enter the wine industry. In 2021, McCollum and his wife announced the purchase of a 318-acre vineyard property in the Yamihill-Carlton AVA.

McCollum is passionate about ensuring that wine is more approachable to everyone, particularly for people of color who historically haven’t seen people who look like them leading the industry. McCollum Heritage 91 represents an extension of the passions and commitments he wants to share as he continues to honor the people, places and causes that mean the most to him.