Some of the wine world’s biggest nerds aren’t found in dusty cellars or verdant vineyards. They’re on the basketball court. Over the pandemic, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony dug into wine-soaked Instagram Lives dubbed “The Wine Down.” During the pandemic, ESPN reported thousands of packages of wine heading into the NBA bubble — the hotel’s array of mass-produced Napa Cab just didn’t suit.
When CJ McCollum joined the NBA, a quiet interest in wine grew into a serious fascination. During the pandemic, his room in the bubble contained a wine fridge with 84 bottles. By the end of 2021 he had launched his own wine label with his wife, Elise, and by 2021 they were buying a 318-acre vineyard in the Willamette Valley. The first release? Sold out in an hour.
There’s some of the most recent vintage, 2022, available through the winery and they’re beautiful wines. McCollum worked with Adelsheim Vineyard winemaker Gina Hennen (who makes some of the Willamette Valley’s most spectacular Chardonnays). These aren’t just passion project bottles—they’re serious, expressive, precise wines that showcase the best of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA.
The 2022 Pinot Noir is sourced from hillside vineyards in the Chehalem Mountains, which add a lightness and slight tartness, vibrant minerality and acidity, rich notes of bing cherry, redwood, and red currant. $55. And if you’re up for splurging, opt for the Bryan Creek Pinot Noir ($103), which is expressive, silky, and lyrical. “The first Oregon Pinot Noir that I ever tasted was a Bryan Creek Pinot,” says McCollum. “I was instantly drawn into the wine, with grapes produced from Volcanic soil.”