Who Takes Our Sommelier Courses?
Not to be corny, but our sommelier students are in a class of their own.The Wine School of Philadelphia has always been an outlier in the wine world. We attract a …
Top Gift Wines
I want three core elements for any wine: high quality, fairly priced, and small production. I’m the type of wine curmudgeon who doesn’t bother with mass-produced wines but doesn’t want to …
A Note to Our Sommelier Students
Dear Students,I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to share some wonderful news about our Advanced Sommelier program. As many of you know, over the past few years, we’ve …
What is Zinfandel?
Zinfandel: The All-American Grape with Hidden Roots Zinfandel, or as it is affectionately called, Zin, is said to be one of the most famous noble grapes in America. Its heavy flavors …
Top Italian Red Wines for $20
Italian Red Wines 101Walk into any wine shop, and you will be confronted with hundreds of Italian red wines, ranging in price from six dollars to hundreds. Your goal is to …
Sommelier Student of the Year 2023
Michael Kraemer, an Advanced Sommelier student at the Wine School of Philadelphia, has been named the 2023 Sommelier Student of the Year Award winner. The award, which recognizes dedication to the …
Schioppettino #3
The effort to save the varietal Schioppettino from extinction can be traced back to the actions of one man, Paulo Rapozzi, and his vineyard Ronchi di Cialla. After the twin threats …
Schioppettino #2
In Janis Robinson’s impressive “Wine Grapes,” she describes 1,400 grape varietals in commercial production. However, the world’s wine shelves are dominated by a mere 20. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay have …
Pallagrello
Located at the “shin” of Italy, bordered on the east by the Tyrrhenian Sea and set between the Garigliano River to the north and the Gulf of Policastro to the south, …
Schioppettino
Tucked away in the eastern hills of the Friuli region of Italy is a small valley between the Upper Adriatic Sea and the foothills of the Julian Alps. This area, known …
Coda di Volpe
Coda di Volpe, also called Coda di Volpe Bianca, is a native white wine grape grown in the Campania region of Italy, primarily in Benevento, Avellino, Napoli, and Caserta. With an …
Timorasso #4
Timorasso is a white grape native to Italy and has been growing around the Tortona hills, located at the crossroads of Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia Romagna, and Liguria, since the Middle Ages. …
Pallagrello Bianco
Italy has a rich winemaking history shaped by politics, culture, tradition, historic events, climate, and evolving wine trends. From the evidence of wineries in Sicily over six thousand years old to …
Falanghina
Falanghina is derived from the Latin falangae, which refers to stakes used to support the grape in an ancient wine training method called alla putuelan. Falanghina is grown primarily in Campania but is …
Timorasso #3
In the calcareous and clay soils of Colli Tortonesi, nestled in northwest Italy, Timorasso has slowly — but stunningly — reemerged. Once drank by da Vinci and tasted as a table …