Wine Foundation Program

Academic Wine Courses

Don't Blame The Wine School for Your Success

The Wine School began over a decade ago with a simple mission: to give the wine enthusiast a complete wine education. As our reputation grew, hundreds of wine and food professionals started flocking to our programs.

The Wine School is a great place to build knowledge and pursue your passion
Jonathan Newman
Former Chairman of the PLCB
Before we knew what was happening, our alumni were becoming sommeliers, restaurateurs, professional winemakers, wine journalists, importers, even restaurant critics. By then we had also attracted the attention of Wine Spectator, Consumer Reports, and the Wall Street Journal.

Best of Philly
Philadelphia Magazine

Don't get us wrong, we are humbled by our success. However, our mandate remains simple: educate the consumer. That's why we don't offer specialized sommelier training, and never will.

A wonderful place. They get it.
Lorraine Bracco
We train wine enthusiasts to become great wine patrons. If they end up going on to become big shots in the wine trade, that's not our fault. Heck, we even say so in our terms and conditions.

A unique and enjoyable learning experience.
Robert Pigeon
Executive Editor of De Capo Press

Our Foundation Wine Certificate is backed by the America's largest independent wine school, and is widely recognized throughout the world of wine. Plus, graduates receive a beautiful diploma-style certificate, suitable for framing.

Students walk away from the Foundation Program with skills that some highly paid sommeliers don't have.
The City Paper

Since 2001, hundreds of wine enthusiasts have attended our Foundation Wine Course. Despite our tremendous success, we still charge less than $600 for an entire semester. Many other schools will charge nearly $400 for a single one-day class.

We are lucky to have the Wine School of Philadelphia.
Andrea Immer
Master Sommelier & Bestselling Author

At the end of the Foundation program, you will have the tasting skills of a master vinologist. In fact, we guarantee that our students succeed. If a student does not pass the final exam, he or she will be given personalized training for free. If after that, the student does not pass the exam, they will receive 100% of their tuition back.

The Top Wine School in America
Dining Out Magazine

Thursdays, September 30th to November 18th, 7:30-9:30pm The Wine Foundation CourseLocation: The Bacchus Classroom
Thursdays, September 30th to November 18th, 7:30-9:30pm

The Wine Foundation Course

Location: The Bacchus Classroom
Tickets Available: 10

Details 

The wine education course in Philadelphia. In a semester, we transform our students into superior wine tasters, usually scoring higher than top sommeliers.

It is due to The Wine School of Philadelphia that I am attending graduate school for Oenology and Viticulture at the University of California at Davis. -Jenny Schultz, Philadelphia

This popular wine course was developed by Keith Wallace for the Wine School of Philadelphia and the National Wine School. The emphasis on sensory evaluation and plain talk is invaluable to anyone with a passion for wine. 

Click on "Details" above for more information.

List Price: $1295.00
Price: $595.00
 
Mondays, November 1st until December 20th from 4:30 to 6:30pm in the Bacchus ClassroomThe Wine Foundation Course
Mondays, November 1st until December 20th from 4:30 to 6:30pm in the Bacchus Classroom

The Wine Foundation Course

Tickets Available: 9
  

The world of wine is built on the foundation of taste. The top professionals in the food, wine, and hospitality industries understand this: the committed student of wine must learn this. To stand tall in the wine world, the student must learn to unravel the hidden flavors of wine and speak the language of the senses. 


"The Wine School is a great place to build knowledge and pursue your passion." Jonathan Newman, Former Chairman of the PLCB

Most wine enthusiasts remain tourists of the grape: they drink and enjoy without ever knowing the greater joys hidden just below the surface. The Foundation Course is your key to unlocking that world. With it, you just may be able to turn a mere hobby into a deeply passionate and highly creative calling.

"The Foundation program is truly a unique and enjoyable learning experience... it is the only chemistry class you will fall in love with." Bob Pigeon, Executive Editor of De Capo Press.

The Foundation Wine Certificate Program is the only certificate program of its kind in the United States, and it is only available through the Wine School of Philadelphia. In a single semester, students will learn the techniques and knowledge to become extraordinary wine tasters. Graduates are able to identity major wine varietals in a blind tasting: a skill many seasoned sommeliers cannot accomplish.

The Wine School of Philadelphia is a consumer-based private school dedicated to teaching individual consumers about wine for their personal, and private, enjoyment. For the full disclosure statement, please review our terms of use .

Course Subjects

  • The Science of Wine
  • Understanding White Wines
  • Old World and New World Styles
  • Understanding Red Wines
  • The Wine Components
  • Introduction to Winemaking
  • Blind Tasting
  • Food and Wine Pairing
List Price: $1095.00
Price: $595.00
 
Wednesdays, January 4th to February 22nd, 7:30-9:30pm The Wine Foundation CourseLocation: The Bacchus Classroom
Wednesdays, January 4th to February 22nd, 7:30-9:30pm

The Wine Foundation Course

Location: The Bacchus Classroom
Tickets Available: 18

Details 

The wine education course in Philadelphia. In a month, we transform our students into superior wine tasters, usually scoring higher than top sommeliers.

It is due to The Wine School of Philadelphia that I am attending graduate school for Oenology and Viticulture at the University of California at Davis. -Jenny Schultz, Philadelphia

This popular wine course was developed by Keith Wallace for the Wine School of Philadelphia and the National Wine School. The emphasis on sensory evaluation and plain talk is invaluable to anyone with a passion for wine. 

Click on "Details" above for more information.

List Price: $1295.00
Price: $595.00