Hi ,

Quick follow-up to the release below. There is a national wine-education story here.

Philadelphia has become a test case for a question your readers understand immediately: who gets to decide what counts as a legitimate wine credential in the United States?

A WSET-approved provider here in Philadelphia sued the Wine School of Philadelphia, an independent school that has operated outside the WSET system for 25 years. The formal case is about “Philly Wine School,” but the filings went further, attacking the legitimacy of our independent certification model. On May 26, a federal judge denied their emergency injunction.

The bigger issue is credential gatekeeping. WSET is a respected qualification, and many serious wine professionals hold it. But WSET itself says its qualifications do not form part of any regulated qualifications framework outside the UK. In the U.S., wine education is a private-credential field. No single provider is the official gatekeeper.

That is the story underneath this case.

We have spent 25 years building an independent American model of wine education. Our graduates answer the legitimacy question better than any legal brief can.

Daniel Brennan left Philadelphia to found Decibel Wines in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. Amy Thorn is the owner-winemaker of California’s Thorn Hill Vineyards. Tahiirah Habibi founded The Hue Society.

It is hard to dismiss a school whose alumni make wine, build companies, and shape the trade around the world.

This August, we are running the accelerated course at the center of that broader debate: a one-week sommelier-certification intensive at the Wine School of Philadelphia. You are welcome to sit in and see how the program actually works.

More here: https://www.vinology.com/summer-wine-school/

I can send the 36-page ruling, introduce you to graduates, or get you a seat in the August room.

Worth a call?

Keith Wallace
Founder, Wine School of Philadelphia
(267) 307-9220

—

If you want to verify before we talk:

• The ruling, in plain English (Wine Industry Advisor): https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2026/05/28/federal-judge-rejects-emergency-bid-to-strip-the-wine-school-of-philadelphia-of-its-trademarked-name/

• WSET's own qualification page — see the regulation note at the foot of the page: https://www.wsetglobal.com/qualifications/wset-level-1-award-in-wines

• Our federal trademark, "Philly Wine School" — USPTO Reg. No. 8,055,977 (searchable at tsdr.uspto.gov)

Hi ,

I founded the Wine School of Philadelphia in 2001, and this summer the school turns 25. Two angles might be worth a look for your audience.

First, the model: it's the only U.S. program where a student earns a sommelier pin in a single week: an intensive built against the year-long, gatekept path most programs sell.

Second, who shows up has changed. Our students are far more diverse than 20 years ago, and graduates include Tahiirah Habibi, founder of The Hue Society.

Happy to set up an interview, connect you with graduates, or send more. Release below.

Keith Wallace
Founder, Wine School of Philadelphia
(267) 307-9220 (Cell)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 9, 2026

Wine School of Philadelphia Marks 25 Years With Intensive Summer Program

Accelerated sommelier course and instructor training run this August; the school says it is the only U.S. program where students can earn a sommelier pin in a week.

PHILADELPHIA — The Wine School of Philadelphia marks its 25th year in 2026 with the return of Summer Wine School, an intensive August wine program. The school says it is the only wine bootcamp in the United States where students can earn a sommelier pin in a week, become a certified wine instructor, or do both.

Summer Wine School opens with the Accelerated Sommelier Course on Aug. 17. The evening class condenses the Core Sommelier Course into a single week, covering blind tasting, wine theory, and the essential wine regions. It is taught by school founder Keith Wallace, a professional winemaker and author, and Alana Zerbe, the school's director of education.

The Wine Instructor Certification begins Aug. 24. It is built for wine professionals, educators, and advanced students who want to teach or speak about wine for a living. The weeklong program includes the practical teaching methods and business framework behind the school's 25-year success in wine education.

"The brutal truth is people are turning on wine snobs, and we think that's healthy," said Wallace, who founded the school in 2001. "Our job is to teach the subject with delight and enthusiasm, not intimidation."

The 2026 summer program coincides with the school's 25th anniversary. Since 2001, the Wine School of Philadelphia has trained thousands of students: consumers, restaurant staff, importers, retailers, writers, and winemakers. Wallace says the student body has grown more diverse over the past two decades, with more graduates building careers in the trade — among them Tahiirah Habibi, founder of The Hue Society, and Jill Weber, owner of Philadelphia's Jet Wine Bar.

The summer program has become one of the school's signature offerings because it gives students a concentrated path into professional-level wine education without a full-semester commitment.

"The Wine School of Philadelphia is the real deal," said Habibi. "It teaches wine seriously without the gatekeeping."

"One of my students from Summer Wine School was a hospital executive," Wallace said. "She is now one of my wine instructors and couldn't be happier. Another was a municipal worker and now runs his own wine event company."

The Philadelphia Inquirer named the school the 2026 Silver Medal Winner for Top Trade School. In its August–September 2024 edition, WineMaker magazine described the school as "one of the best sommelier training programs in America."

Summer Wine School 2026 takes place at the Wine School of Philadelphia in Center City. Details and registration are at https://www.vinology.com/summer-wine-school/.

Program Details

Accelerated Sommelier Course: begins Aug. 17, one week of evening sessions
Wine Instructor Certification: begins Aug. 24, limited seats

About the Wine School of Philadelphia

Founded in 2001, the Wine School of Philadelphia is an independent wine education center in Center City Philadelphia. It offers public wine classes, professional certification, advanced wine education, and instructor training through a hands-on, science-based approach to tasting.

Media Contact

Keith Wallace
Wine School of Philadelphia
wsop@vinology.com
(215) 965-1514