Cobble Named Bill Powers Sabbatical Award Winner

Casey Cobble of Four Feathers Wine Services in Prosser was recently selected by the Washington Wine Industry Foundation to receive the 2024 Bill Powers Sabbatical award.  Cobble will travel to four different wine regions across Europe with Jerome Barret, acclaimed sparkling wine consultant, in early 2025 for about 20 days.  They will explore how each region leverages its advantages and challenges to make unique sparkling wine styles.  Specifically, Cobble is interested in “how consistency is achieved year after year, how yeast cultures are prepared and maintained for tirage bottling, and how dosage levels are chosen to balance phenolics and acidity.”

Establishment of the Bill Powers Sabbatical was a collaborative effort between Badger Mountain Vineyard and Powers Winery, who have continued funding the sabbatical award to honor the legacy of their former owner.  Each year, one Washington state wine industry applicant is selected for the $5,000 award to help themselves, as well as the Washington wine industry, by "traveling to an established wine-producing region of the world to further their learning and professional career and improve the Washington grape and wine industry with gained knowledge". The sabbatical fund and selection process are managed by the Washington Wine Industry Foundation.

As part of the Sabbatical requirement, Cobble will report back to the industry on her global learning.  By bringing this information back to the Washington wine community, Cobble hopes to help Washington “craft terroir driven traditional method sparkling wines that will put us on the map as one of the best sparkling wine producing regions in the world.”  While completing her Winemaking Certificate at South Seattle Community College, Cobble became active in the Washington wine industry as a Cellar Assistant and Customer Service Manager at Betz Family Winery in Redmond, WA. She quickly rose through the ranks over the past 14 years and is now the White and Sparkling Winemaker at Four Feathers Wine Services in Prosser. Cobble was also a founding member and former Vice President of the Alliance of Women in Washington Wine, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization aiming to build a safe community to inspire, connect, and advance women and their advocates in the Washington wine industry. 

Sabbatical candidates need only five years of experience in the Washington wine industry and a passion for helping the state’s wine community grow and thrive through research and exploration. Beginning March 1st, prospective applicants may request an application for the 2025 award at Washington Wine Foundation's Website.

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