“This is a different approach by NBA players now,” said Gary Mortensen, president of the Stoller Wine Group in Oregon. He consulted with McCollum and Anthony on wine and McCollum’s vineyard purchase. “It really signifies a leadership role for CJ, by going out and carefully finding that right piece of property. Purchasing it now, he gets to plan exactly what he wants, and that’s really exciting. And so this is going to be his process all the way through.
“Since announcing my label a year ago, I’ve learned more and more about the lack of representation in the wine industry,” McCollum said. “I want to ensure wine is more approachable for everyone, particularly those who may not see people who look like them leading the profession.” Angela McCrae, a creative director for an entertainment company in New York, earned a Diversity in Wine Scholarship in 2020. Because of the pandemic, the certification took place online instead of in Napa, but “it deepened my knowledge of wine a great deal.”wine group on Facebook as a vehicle to elevate Black people’s education about wine. “And having that certification through Josh Hart and the Napa Valley Wine Academy,” she said.
Stanley, who plans to release a wine project of his own in 2022, said he regularly hosts or encounters NBA players in Napa, which is no longer an anomaly. “I look forward to the day when someone makes the leap and becomes a full-blown owner of a winery here in Napa,” he said. “You hear chatter of current and former African American players having aspirations to own their own sports team.
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RooksDa1