Wine passion takes root

The perfect blend

Alice Cowie ’25 has known since she was 12 that she wanted to work in wine. What she didn’t know was where that passion would take root.

Linfield University wasn’t originally high on her list. She was interested in the wine studies program, but unsure about the details. Still, she kept digging.

“The more I looked at the program and the more people I talked to, the more I honestly felt I was going to commit here,” Alice said.

That decision turned out to be the start of something special. The Bainbridge Island, Washington, native found her perfect pairing at Linfield — wine studies and anthropology.

“They go hand in hand more than people think,” she said. “Culture is a big part of wine. The development of wine around the world is really the story of human culture.”

Alice believes she’s the first Linfield student to double major in these two areas. Working in the Linfield Archives — specifically in the Oregon Wine History Archive — gave her a front-row seat to the ways wine and anthropology intersect.

“I do a lot of oral history interviews,” she said. “I start them by asking, ‘Why wine?’ I do a lot of the filming and audio during the interviews and also work with the physical collections.”

For Alice, it’s the perfect way to apply both of her majors.

Beyond the classroom

Alice also found meaningful connections and leadership opportunities across campus. She’s served as vice president of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, president of the Residence Hall Association, a resident advisor, a cast member in theatre productions and an employee at both the Linfield Archives and the student-run Acorn to Oak Wine Experience.

Movie nights, chapter meetings and RA office hours gave her people with shared interests to spend time with; she found her community.

“Once I got here, I was able to choose who I wanted to spend time with,” Alice said. “You choose who to be with and they choose to be with you.”

That sense of belonging extended into her leadership roles.

“I loved being vice president of Zeta and helping shape what it means to be in the chapter. It was a lot of fun because it gave me some responsibility,” she said. “My favorite part of being an RA was office hours. I loved it. I got to sit and talk with good people.”

Into the future

Now with graduation around the corner, Alice is reflecting on her time at Linfield — and looking forward to what comes next. Her next step: heading into the wine industry before returning to school for a master’s degree in sustainability.

Her goal is clear: “I want to work for a sustainable winery that cares about what we're doing with the environment and how we're treating the industry, our world, our people and our culture.”