No one in Rip City was surprised when Portland Trail Blazers’ guard CJ McCollum bought 318 acres of land in the Willamette Valley with the eventual goal of opening a winery. McCollum is rapidly becoming the face of a movement in not just the NBA but the entire wine industry as it diversifies, reports Curtis Bunn of NBC News. While other players certainly have played a role, few have been as vocal as McCollum about their love for wine.
“I’m fortunate that basketball brought me to Oregon, just a short drive from one of the top wine regions in the country, taking my existing passion for, and knowledge of, wine to new heights,” McCollum, 30, said.