We have an electric interview with you today. One of the most exciting newer wine brands out of Oregon, McCollum Heritage 91is the brainchild of CJ and Dr. Elise McCollum. CJ is a former Portland Blazer legend and Dr. Elise is a Portland-based dentist who have started this brand together. It is an exciting development that they have purchased a a 318-acre vineyard property in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. All wines are made by Gina Hennen, the talented winemaker at Adelsheim. I think you will really enjoy hearing CJ and Dr. Elise’s story in wine. Here is my exclusive interview with CJ and Dr. Elise McCollum of McCollum Heritage 91

OB: Can you talk about how you both met and how wine has impacted both of your lives?

CJ and E: Elise and I met in college through a mutual friend and have been together for almost half of our lives. We’ve been fortunate enough to explore the food and beverage industry all across the United States – from restaurants to wineries, this industry has given us some really unique experiences and opportunities to learn and grow in this space.
Wine has impacted our lives in so many ways. We’re very intentional about spending time in Oregon as a family and exploring different restaurants and wine shops all around the state. This alone is a more casual way how wine has influenced us – offering us different places, occasions, and people to experience it with. The impact clearly goes deeper than just enjoying wine together, as we’ve been able to immerse ourselves fully into the industry through our ownership and operation of McCollum Heritage 91. We enjoy working harvest together, watching our kids run around the vineyard playing in between the rows, eating grapes, and just being so present with nature – this has impacted our relationship as a couple, the experiences our kids are exposed to, and how we have a natural opportunity to slow down and reconnect in the midst of chaos.
Wine has obviously impacted us from a business standpoint as well. In addition to producing our portfolio of wines, we grow and sell fruit and also have the Ruby Nursery on property where we specialize in selling Japanese Maple Liners. This wouldn’t be possible without wine as the initial connector and passion builder.
Building our family legacy together, while operating our brand as a true team is what makes this all so special. We will always enjoy opening a bottle of wine together – I’ve always said we’ve never had a bad time together drinking wine and exploring. Even when we knew nothing about wine as college students, and well before our taste buds evolved, the time spent was always intentional. Love, family, land, and legacy are at the center of every decision we make. We’re proud of our journey and are so happy we’re able to intertwine our core pillars as we grow our family business together.

OB: Dr. Elise, can you talk about how you both found the large property in the Willamette Valley and what the planting project has been like? When can we expect an estate wine from the seven acres you both have planted?

CJ and E: The McCollum Heritage 91 property actually started out as a Christmas tree farm. When we purchased the land, there were zero vines planted, so we had to start from scratch. This was such a pivotal moment in our journey as it showed a true vision of what we could do, with an absolutely blank slate. When we visited the property, we immediately felt that sense of tranquility and calmness that initially drew us to the Willamette Valley. Despite it not previously being a vineyard site, we knew in our hearts that it would be a place that can bring just as much peace to others and bring to life our shared dream of our physical winery.
The next step for us was to ensure that the soil was ideal for our winegrowing plans - that meant extensive soil analyses across the entire property with our consulting winemaker Gina Hennen, so we could determine which areas were best suited for each of our clones. We made sure that there was a detailed plan of action, and the planting project has been a huge undertaking, but we wanted to be hands-on the entire way. Everything from row spacing, irrigation, to finding ways to protect the vines from wildlife, we made sure to play a big role in every aspect of building out the property and ensuring longevity along the way. This includes our commitment to being LIVE Certified across our estate vineyards and being true stewards of the land.
As of 2026, we have 56 acres planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, reflecting a harmony of innovation and respect for tradition. The 2024 vintage is our first vintage to include estate grown grapes, thoughtfully blended with fruit sourced from Adelsheim through our longstanding partnership. As we continue to look to the future of McCollum Heritage 91, we are inching towards our goal of an all-estate model. As the vines’ yields grow more consistent and mature, we are excited to reach this next milestone.

OB: CJ, you are a Portland Blazer legend and can you talk about your influences in wine? How did you fall in love with Oregon wine?

CJ and E: I wouldn’t be sitting here with a winery if it wasn’t for the influence of my first taste of Oregon wine, which happened to be a Walter Scott Pinot Noir from Bryan Creek. From there, there have been many influential forces in Elise and I’s wine journey – from wine appreciators to winery owners, each influence has been integral in our growth. Gina Hennen and the Adelsheim team have made an immense impact on our progression and helped make our dream a reality. Gina is someone who has been instrumental in our wine development and David Adelsheim has allowed us to learn, grow and explore consistently over the years alongside his team.
We’re huge fans of Kate Payne Brown’s winemaking style, along with Melissa Burr just to name a few. Wineries like Adelsheim, Granville Wine Co., Soter Vineyards, Sequitur and Stoller Family Estate have given us inspiration in different ways. More generally, we are also heavily inspired by Burgundy, which is mirrored a lot in the ecology of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, where McCollum Heritage 91 is located.
As I alluded to earlier, Walter Scott was my first introduction to Oregon wine and made an incredible impact on me, and later Elise when I shared a bottle with her. The depth and complexity shown through its volcanic soils ignited a deeper interest in wine, and Oregon wine specifically, that I didn’t know was there.
We fell in love with Oregon wine because of the land, the fruit, and the people. Living in Oregon for almost 10 years exposed us to the diversity, quality, and culture that we have come to fall in love with – a place that we consider home. The community in itself has been a big driver in our passion and growth in the industry – not just as a winery, but as individuals. The Oregon community has taught us, challenged us, and anchored us into a new chapter of life.
Oregon is our safe place and we love everything about it. There's an indescribable peace we have when we’re there and it’s immensely special to us.

OB: When you both are together, can you talk about some of your favorite wines of the world? What is your cellar like? Do you have any favorite food and wine pairings in particular?

CJ and E: If it isn’t already obvious, Pinot Noir will always be one of our favorite varietals to explore together. Whether those bottles are from Oregon or Burgundy or lesser-explored regions, we are always eager to see how other producers and regions are crafting our favorite grape. Together we often enjoy old world wines including Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Tuscany. We also drink a lot of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. My wife is a huge fan of Super Tuscans. However, lately, she has truly enjoyed Blanc De Blanc – we enjoy a glass of bubbles to start most meals when we are out. Our cellar itself has a little bit of everything – the diversity is something that is important to us as every occasion requires a different region, dictated by the mood and where we are. We have an Oregon-focused cellar which contains our favorite Oregon wines. We have a cellar we use to store some of our library wines. Then we have our personal cellar which stores the wines we’re currently drinking in rotation. Some specific producers include Beaux Frères, Blizzard Wines, Domaine Serene, Alexana Winery, Sequitur, Walter Scott, Patricia Green Cellars, Antica Terra, Domaine Drouhin, Chateau Latour, Chateau Prieure-Lichine, Chateau Margaux, and Louis Jadot, to name a few.
We often pair popcorn and Pinot as a late night snack once the kids are in bed and the day is winding down. In the summer time we drink a lot of sparkling wine, Chardonnay, and Rosè. Shrimp and Rosé was a staple during our time in New Orleans, and we often had a variety of fruit salad with Chardonnay with the hot weather.