Diego Valeri Talks Soccer, Wine & Cultural Commonality

By Jake Ten Pas

Photos by Brandon Davis

Soccer superstar Diego Valeri knows a thing or two about fanning the flames of sports fandom, and he is fired up about Aces & Laces. That’s partly because the snazzy soiree is primed to introduce his new winery to members, but it’s also a unique showcase for the blazing ascendency of pickleball.

Just as Timbers mania heated up during Valeri’s nearly decade-long run with the organization, pickleball passion has exploded in the past 10 years. That happens to be the length of Valeri’s MAC membership, although any connection between the two is purely coincidental.

Until now.

The all-time leading goal scorer for the Timbers, having already played a key part in establishing Portland as a city capable of kindling professional sports, is ready to grab the comet of pickleball’s shooting popularity by the tail.

When he returns to MAC in November, it will be not just as a football phenomenon, but as a revered Spanish-language sportscaster, wine entrepreneur, and pickleball enthusiast. Aces & Laces is set to light up MAC with professional play, cuisine dedicated to the stadiums of his native Argentina, passed glasses of ConurWines, and stylish juxtapositions of semi-formalwear and the freshest of sneakers.

It’ll be a hot time at the old club that night.

Jake Ten Pas: What made you decide to settle in Portland after you retired from the Timbers?

Diego Valeri: We love the fans and supporters so much. We love the club, and we love the city a lot. Our daughter, Constanza — or Connie — she’s a Portlander. She actually lived here almost her whole life. She’s 16 years old now, and she lived 14 years here. That was important for us because we went through many changes after my retirement, and we want her to have more stability.

JTP: How do you see yourself fitting into the evolution of professional sports in Portland?

DV: I’m part of it. I think what makes me proud, if you can say proud is the word, is that when I arrived in town in Portland, you could tell how important sports and soccer were specifically for this city. My goal was to make them visible nationally. How you do that? Competing and winning games and titles and always being there in the finals and being a role model for those that come after you. I spent half of my career doing that, and it worked really well. I gave 100% and I’m proud of it. I did my part.

JTP: Were there any lessons you were able to take away from your time in sports and apply to your new venture, ConurWines?

DV: Growing up, soccer taught me everything. At the highest level, it teaches you that there are no small details. Everything is really important, and small pieces change the game. You’ve got to be always focused, playing with the knife in your mouth, being intense.

That’s something that I’m applying to this project. Some might say that nobody’s going to read what’s on the back of the label. It doesn’t matter. All of it, every word, everything matters. Even with the drawing on the front of the label, we’ve got to be aware of everything.

JTP: What’s the story with that character on the label? What kind of dog is it?

DV: Our partners, Federico and Lucila, they had a dog named Soté, a golden retriever. He passed away when we were in the process of finishing our labels, designing our brand, and we wanted him to be with us. He represents our friendship.

We also wanted to be nontraditional kind of branding. Some wines are very traditional and straightforward. We wanted to be more fun, but at the same time elegant.

Soté also represents friendship and loyalty because this project, it’s about that. They live in Miami because Federico runs a restaurant there, and this is a great excuse for us to get together every month. They come to Oregon, we go to the winery and taste some grapes. We get new ideas, and the project is about that, too.

JTP: Your wife, Florencia, mentioned that you all grew up near each other but never met until you were both in the states?

DV: They are from the same area of Buenos Aires, 10 minutes away from Florencia and my home. Same age, same activities. We knew people in common, but we never met in Buenos Aires. When I arrived in Florida, because we spent there six months after my retirement, I wanted to play tennis, and I didn’t have a partner to play with.

One of our neighbors, he was an Argentinian with a restaurant there, and it’s connected to Federico. He said, “Hey, you know what? I know a person who’s going to be a good one for you to play tennis with here in Florida.” So, he introduced us, and it was because of tennis.

JTP: How did you get into playing pickleball, and how did the idea for this event come about?

DV: I’ve always enjoyed racket sports — I played tennis since I was young, and I play a lot of padel too. When friends here in Portland invited me to try pickleball, it felt very natural for me. At first it was just something different and fun, but I quickly realized how engaging it is. The mix of competition, quick movement, and the social side make it really special.

What I like most is that it brings people together. You can share the court with different ages and levels, and still enjoy the game in a good way. That sense of community resonates with me, especially after my soccer career. The idea for this event came from that same spirit. We wanted to celebrate the game, connect people, and create a fun atmosphere around it — something that goes beyond sport, but keeps the joy of competition alive.

JTP: Let’s talk about the wines you’re making, which include a malbec and a pinot noir. Aren’t those on different ends of the red spectrum? Argentina is known for malbec, and it’s a big, bold red. It’s darker in color, and I tend to think of pinot as lighter both in color and subtler in flavor. Was it an acquired taste for you?

DV: I like pinots, but malbec is more structured, right? It’s bigger than pinot, but there are different moments of the day, different social atmospheres. I find wine is a social thing — I don’t drink it when I’m alone. There are moments that are perfect for pinot and others where malbec is perfect, with a steak for instance.

We are not changing that, but the new style of making malbec is a little bit lighter. We tried to create something smooth, more fruity, with not too much oak. It’s a malbec that you can still drink without a steak. In my mind, they’re not opposite but complement each other really well.

JTP: In some ways, it sounds like your appreciation of wines mirrors your love of both Argentina and Oregon? Is there anything you’d like local readers to know about your native land, or vice-versa?

DV: Argentina is a country that is truly a blend. It’s inclusive. We are made of people from everywhere, every part of the world. That’s something that I think is a great message right now. It’s possible. You can be inclusive, have open arms, and it works really well. It created a great country and a great place to live.

I’ve found Portland to be a place like that since the beginning. The community welcomed my family. In this part of the U.S., people are different than anywhere else in the country. They’re smart, respectful, and original. We like that in Argentina. We don’t like to be copy-paste. We are creatives, and Portland is a very creative area. It’s a very beautiful place to live, and for kids to grow up.