Behind the Corkscrew: The Story of the Wine School

Founded in 2001 by Keith Wallace, the Wine School of Philadelphia has grown from a renegade experiment in a Manayunk coffee shop into one of the most respected wine schools in the United States. What began as a personal pivot from the winemaking world became a national force in wine education—one rooted in grit, charm, and a refusal to play by the old rules.
This page offers a short history of the school—and the people who’ve made it what it is.

Our People

How a lawyer and a winemaker met up and made the world a little bit more fun.
Alana Zerbe
Director of Wine Education
Attorney. Winemaker. Educator. If there’s a wine educator more overqualified and less pretentious, we haven’t met them.

Before joining the Wine School, Alana was on a very different trajectory. She holds a J.D. and an LL.M., and spent years practicing law before taking a hard left turn into wine. That shift wasn’t arbitrary: she also worked in wineries, merging her love of logic and viticulture. She joined the Wine School over a decade ago, first as an instructor, then as the architect behind many of the certification programs used by the National Wine School.

Today, she’s the Director of Wine Education—widely regarded as the highest-rated instructor in the school’s history. She teaches everything from Wine 101 to graduate-level certifications and remains the quiet backbone of the school’s academic standards.
Keith Wallace
Founder
Before founding the Wine School, Keith was a hard-charging journalist in Baltimore, an executive chef in Boston, and a professional winemaker in Napa. A graduate of the UC Davis viticulture and enology program, he had plans to open his own winery—until a catastrophic car accident in 1998 changed everything.

He kept the aftermath a secret for years. The accident left him with focal epilepsy, a relatively mild condition that nonetheless made winery work increasingly dangerous. Instead of retreating, Keith adapted. He began teaching wine classes for a client winery in Pennsylvania. To his surprise, he was a natural—and he found something he didn’t know he was looking for.

By 2001, he’d founded the Wine School in Manayunk. It wasn’t glamorous. The first classes were held in the back of a coffee shop, and the website—hand-coded by Keith—lived at winelust.com. But the vision was clear: bring winemaker-level education to the public, without the snobbery or smoke and mirrors.

Since then, Keith has built the Wine School into the most influential independent wine school in the country. His irreverent teaching style and deep well of knowledge have earned him a loyal following—and made him a bit of a lightning rod in the wine industry. He’s exposed industry manipulation in The Daily Beast, pushed for privatization of wine sales in Pennsylvania, and fought to create a US-based sommelier certification agency that doesn’t rely on foreign oversight. That effort eventually became the National Wine School, based in Los Angeles.

The School

2001–2004: The Manayunk Experiment

In the early 2000s, Philadelphia was a wine education wasteland. The city’s only dedicated wine schools had long since shuttered. Tastings were relegated to restaurant backrooms. Keith wasn’t planning to change that. He just wanted to teach a few good classes.

But word spread. By 2002, classes were selling out. Within a year, the school had outgrown its coffee shop digs and moved into the wine cellar of a local steakhouse. The name changed, too—from WineLust to something more direct: The Wine School of Philadelphia.

2005–2012: Fairmount Roots

The Wine School’s first real home was a rundown block at 20th and Fairmount. It was not what you’d call an “ideal location.” But that didn’t matter. The school flourished, developing its Core Wine Program—still the foundation of its curriculum today—and cultivating a student body that included future winemakers, sommeliers, writers, and educators.

The school also launched the Philly Beer School during this era, giving voice to the city’s beer geeks before craft beer hit the mainstream.

2013–2015: Rittenhouse, Take One

By the time the school moved into its Rittenhouse mansion—a 19th-century brownstone that once housed Wine Spectator’s publishing offices—it was already a national presence. Students came from across the country. Wine schools from Texas to Georgia sought Keith’s guidance in launching their own programs.

This era also marked the formal beginning of the National Wine School, an accreditation agency launched by Keith to provide U.S.-based sommelier certifications. It was a necessary disruption to an industry reliant on UK-based programs that weren’t aligned with American law.

Keith also found time to publish a cookbook (through Perseus), campaign for privatization of the PLCB, and, somehow, still teach classes every week.

2015–Present: Rittenhouse, Take Two

In late 2015, the Wine School moved down the block to 109 S. 22nd Street. Keith, armed with power tools and questionable carpentry skills, turned the space into a wine education haven. Around this time, longtime instructor Zach Morris departed, and Alana Zerbe stepped in as Director of Wine Education.

With her at the helm, the School doubled down on its mission: high-level education delivered with warmth, humor, and zero pretense.

Today, the Wine School offers classes in wine, beer, spirits, and cocktails, all taught by top professionals. Alumni work across the industry: in wineries, restaurants, import firms, and media outlets. Some have even launched their own schools.

Corkscrewed and Proud of It

The Wine School has never shied away from taking on the wine establishment. Keith’s reporting has appeared on NPR, MSNBC, the BBC, and in countless print outlets. He’s worked with lawmakers to ensure any changes to Pennsylvania’s liquor laws protect small businesses and consumers.

That adversarial streak isn’t about picking fights—it’s about protecting students and consumers from the darker side of the industry: inflated prices, fake prestige, and backroom deals. The School exists to democratize wine education. To teach people how to think, not what to drink.

Giving Back

The Wine School isn’t just a business—it’s part of Philadelphia. Over the years, it has donated more than $75,000 in classes and events to local schools and nonprofits. It continues to support Philly’s culinary and wine scene in every way it can.

The Next Chapter

What’s next for the Wine School? We don’t know yet—but we’re raising a glass to find out. As Keith puts it:

“Not everyone gets to do something this awesome. When you get the chance, you take it. And if you’re a little crazy, even better.”

9 thoughts on “About the Wine School”

  1. I took my Level One Sommelier Course and Exam online with your school, and am registered to take my level two and three courses and exams with you in person at the school this August. I’m very much looking forward to advancing my knowledge and credentials through your school. Cheers!

    Reply
  2. Hello,
    I am super excited to be taking all 3 levels for the sommelier exam. I’m about half-way through #1 right now. I am planning a trip to Phila April 27-29 of this year. Would love to tour your place there if possible, and attend a tasting (again if possible)on April 28th in the evening. I see there is one listed, but it looks like all seats are taken.
    At any rate – looking forward to the whole experience!
    Thanks,
    Mary

    Reply
    • Mary,
      Love to hear the enthusiasm! That class is sold out, but keep an eye out on our Facebook page: facebook.com/phillywine. That is where we post seats if they come available.

      Cheers.

      Reply
  3. Hello,
    I am taking the online curriculum and have finished the Level 2 in the Sommelier and I am ready to take my blind tasting final exam. It states I need a teacher present…. Do I need a proctor? Can you please advise so I can make sure I do it properly. Loving my classes . Great course study!
    Thank you,
    Kristen Incarnati

    Reply
  4. Greetings!
    I just signed up for the December 21st, 2020 “Level One Wine Course Online”.
    I did receive a link to join the Zoom Video; great!
    However, i have not seen any information about the schedule, except that it is “All Day”
    What time does it start, i.e. what time should I log in?
    What should I have with me as I start the course?
    Any other info?

    I look forward to the course!

    Thank you very much,
    Bertrand Dussert

    Reply
  5. Hello,
    I’m trying to enroll in tonight’s online Wines of Tuscany course. Unfortunately, your website is not allowing me to do so. From my iPad I pressed on the Get Tickets button several times on nothing. I tried from my desktop. And my iPhone. Nothing.
    Is it too late to enroll? I tested one of your future courses. Same problem.
    Please help me if I’m missing something.
    My phone is: 610-212-9979
    Thank you,
    Michael Crauderueff
    PS I’m writing you here because I found no other way to contact you.

    Reply

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