A Philadelphia school is recognized for making wine education rigorous, welcoming, and distinctly American.
The Philadelphia Inquirer just announced the Wine School of Philadelphia as one of the top trade schools in the city. Their “Philly Favorites” Poll names the Wine School as the 2026 Silver Winner in the Trade School category.
This silver medal underscores the school’s ability to turn wine enthusiasts into wine professionals. According to the Inquirer's Philly Favorites 2026 Magazine, the school is “a distinctly American answer to a very old problem: why should wine snobs hold all the power in the wine world?”
The school offers a simple but disruptive idea: wine education should be rigorous, delicious, and unpretentious. With two decades of experience, the Wine School of Philadelphia is now a regional institution serving students ranging from the wine-curious to working sommeliers.
The school’s Center City campus, located in an 18th-century rowhouse near Rittenhouse Square, blends a winery aesthetic with the modern tools needed for serious wine education. The school also curates an off-site wine cellar, maintained specifically for its students.
“Philly has always been the underdog when it comes to wine education, overshadowed by both Europe and New York,” said Keith Wallace, founder of the Wine School of Philadelphia. “This recognition by the Inquirer and their readership goes a long way to showcase that Philly is a serious wine city.”
This August, the school is offering the Accelerated Core Sommelier program and the annual Teacher Training program for the National Wine School.
Back in 2001, the Wine School was born in the back room of a local coffeehouse and has now grown into one of the most influential wine education programs in the country. The school has remained an innovator, developing wine programs that are for American wine professionals from Texas to Maine.
The school's success in Philadelphia inspired the founding of the National Wine School (NWS), which moved to Vermont in 2020. NWS issues state-recognized professional sommelier credentials for thousands of American wine professionals.
About The Wine School of Philadelphia
The Wine School of Philadelphia offers wine tasting classes, educational programs, and a wine club from its Rittenhouse campus. Professional certifications and sommelier credentials are issued through the National Wine School, headquartered in Vermont. |
