Founder. Winemaker. Journalist. Educator. Advocate.
Keith Wallace
Keith Wallace has spent the last two decades breaking down barriers in the wine world—and building something far more enduring in their place. He’s a trained winemaker with a gift for teaching, a journalist who isn’t afraid to rattle cages, and the founder of one of the most respected independent wine schools in the country. His work has made a lasting impact not just in Philadelphia, but across the United States.
A Career Without a Straight Line
Before he was ever in front of a classroom, Keith was already on his third career. Born in the Pacific Northwest and trained in viticulture and enology at UC Davis, he spent the 1990s working as a winemaker and winery consultant in California. Before that, he’d been a journalist in Baltimore, an executive chef in Boston, and a wine distributor. Each of those jobs left a mark—but none quite stuck the way teaching did.
In 2001, after a serious car accident derailed his winemaking career, Keith started something new: The Wine School of Philadelphia. With no outside funding and no blueprint, he built the school from scratch, holding early classes in the back of a coffee shop in Manayunk. His goal was simple but radical: bring winemaker-level education to the public without the snobbery, the gatekeeping, or the bad PowerPoints.
The Wine School has since become a national model. Its alumni have gone on to become winemakers, sommeliers, beverage directors, importers, and even founders of their own wine schools. And Keith’s fingerprints are all over that success—from the curriculum he designed to the irreverent teaching style that’s become the school’s hallmark.
A Voice in the Wine Industry
Keith is more than a teacher—he’s a loud, smart, and occasionally troublemaking voice in the wine world.
His writing has appeared in The Daily Beast, Bon Appétit, Barron’s New Wine Lover’s Companion, and the updated Windows on the World Complete Wine Course by Kevin Zraly. His own book, Corked & Forked: Four Seasons of Eats and Drinks, was published by Running Press and remains a popular guide for home cooks and wine lovers alike.
He’s been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, interviewed by NPR, and featured in Wine Spectator Online, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Magazine, and dozens of other national and regional outlets.
His IMDB page includes credits for creating and starring in Philly Uncorked, a popular web series for Philly.com. He has contributed to several wine-focused TV programs and documentaries. If there’s a camera and a corkscrew, Keith probably shows up at some point.
A Relentless Advocate
Keith’s influence goes beyond the classroom and the page. He’s lobbied in Harrisburg for the reform of Pennsylvania’s state-run liquor system. He’s worked closely with policymakers to ensure legislation protects both consumers and small businesses. He’s written exposés on industry manipulation, fake ratings, and the quiet monopolies that control much of what Americans drink.
He’s also the founder of the National Wine School, based in Los Angeles, which provides sommelier certification programs designed to meet U.S. legal standards—an alternative to foreign-based organizations like WSET and CMS.
At every stage, Keith’s guiding principle has been the same: protect and empower the American wine consumer.
Awards & Recognition
Keith has won two “Best of Philly” awards from Philadelphia Magazine, one for his wine programs and another for his beer education classes. The magazine also recognized his programs as the region’s best adult education.
He was instrumental in launching the original Philly Wine Week and has been a consistent advocate for local wine culture. His newsletter, read by over 30,000 Philadelphians each month, is one of the most influential voices in the city’s food and beverage scene.
SOMM, the national wine education ratings site, calls his school “the gold standard for wine education in the United States.”
The Master in Wine Society
Keith is a founding member of the Master in Wine Society, an organization dedicated to redefining advanced wine education in the U.S. Unlike traditional European models, the Society emphasizes interdisciplinary thinking, legal alignment, and practical experience. It’s part of Keith’s larger vision for a more inclusive, accountable, and forward-looking wine industry.
Still Teaching
Despite everything—despite the books, the press, the politics—Keith still shows up to teach. It’s what he loves most. Whether it’s a Wine 101 class on a Friday night or a deep dive into obscure Italian varietals, he’s at his best when sharing a bottle, a story, and a sideways comment that somehow makes perfect sense.
As he often says, “If you’re not having fun with wine, you’re doing it wrong.”