Our critically acclaimed sommelier classes range from online wine courses to master-level certification. For example, certification can take as little as a week for our Accelerated Summer School and up to two years to complete the Advanced Wine Course. Sommelier classes are held at our primary classroom in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood, with options to take sommelier certification programs online. For an in-depth article, please check out What You Need to Know About Sommelier Levels.

Introductory Wine Courses (L1)

Level one is an online wine course you can complete at your own pace. Level one courses are not required to take the Core program at the Wine School. However, it is a great place to start if you haven’t attended wine classes. This is also known as a Level 1 Sommelier Certification, but a pin is not awarded in this program.

Core Sommelier Program (L2 to L3)

Are you looking to earn your sommelier pin? Then, enrolling in the Core  Sommelier program is what you need to do. This wine course includes the Foundation (Level Two) and the Intermediate (Level Three). You can take the two Core programs separately or together. Through the National Wine School, we also offer wine sommelier classes online.

Advanced Sommelier Classes (L4)

Professional sommelier classes are managed and authorized by the National Wine School (NWS), a significant professional wine certification agency in the United States. The NWS issues sommelier certification and pins up to the master level. However, the Wine School of Philadelphia itself does not give professional accreditation.

Master in Wine Certification (L5)

You must complete the Core and Advanced programs to earn your Level Five pin. In addition, level five candidates must complete four additional programs.

• Sommelier Certification Levels
• The Core Sommelier Program
  • Foundation Wine Course
  • Intermediate Wine Course
  • Advanced Sommelier Certification
  • Master in Wine Studies™ Sommelier Certification
    • Who Attends Our Wine Courses
• Professional Wine Certification

Sommelier Certification Levels

Programs at the Wine School fall in line with national standards for the highest level of wine education. We offer five levels of wine courses, which correspond directly to the programs provided by all significant wine certification bodies in the United States. In addition, our programs offer national sommelier certification via the National Wine School.

Due to our premier status, we can offer certification coupled with our independently-developed curriculum. As a result, our programs have been the basis for wine education programs at many schools, including the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel.

The Core Sommelier Program

Level one certification is not required to attend the Core Wine Course in person. However, to earn the core sommelier certificate, the student must complete the Foundation (L2) and Intermediate (L3) programs. You can take these two critically acclaimed programs in tandem (known as “taking the Core”) or in two separate semesters. Enrolling in the Core program allows the student to attend Wine School at a discounted rate.

Foundation Wine Course

Super-charge your palate and learn how to taste like a master sommelier. The patent-pending approach to wine tasting is nothing less than exhilarating.

CERTIFICATION

• National Wine School
• Level 2 Certification
• Top Rated on SOMM
• A Core Program
• One Semester

PRO-TIP

You will save hundreds of dollars in a single semester if you register for the Core Program, including the Foundation and the Intermediate wine courses.

Intermediate Wine Course

Understand the entire world of wine in a single semester. This overview of modern wine culture covers all major wine regions and grape varietals. 

CERTIFICATION

• National Wine School
• Level 3 Certification
• Top Rated on SOMM
• A Core Program
• One Semester

PRO-TIP

Professional certification comes with the most up-to-date reading material in the wine trade. Only students and graduates of the program have access.

Advanced Sommelier Certification

Complete four semesters in the Advanced Program to earn your Advanced Wine Diploma and pin. Every semester takes you one step closer to the coveted Advanced Sommelier pin. Moreover, each Advanced Wine Program is a certification unto itself. These programs include Food and Wine Pairing, Winemaker Certification, Italian Wine Specialist,  Luxury Wine Scholar, and many more. Earn four professional wine certifications and qualify for your Advanced Sommelier Diploma.

CERTIFICATION

• 4 Professional Certifications
• Advanced Sommelier Pin
• Top Rated on SOMM
• National Wine School
• Four Semesters

PRO-TIP

Advanced program students are eligible for one-on-one counseling from the school’s executive director. This benefit often results in significant new opportunities.

Master in Wine Studies™ Sommelier Certification

Only the top tier of Advanced Sommeliers in America are invited into the Master Wine Program. A six-month program guided by your professional mentor. The capstone of our wine programming This achievement is reserved for those students who have exhibited a mastery of the subject and have earned their Advanced Sommelier Pin Students who have completed this ultimate wine program have become winemakers, wine writers, sommeliers, importers, and educators, among other careers. In addition, graduates of this program earn their master-level sommelier pin from the National Wine School, the highest available in the wine trade. We are not affiliated with the disgraced Court of Master Sommelier certification program.

CERTIFICATION

• Four Semesters
• Master Level Pin
• Top Rated on SOMM
• National Wine School

PRO-TIP

There are five names for the same certification: Master of Wine, Master Sommelier, Master Somm, Diploma Enotropae, and Level IV Sommelier.

Who Attends Our Wine Courses

Our wine courses are attended by a diverse swath of people. In a recent program, the retired CEO of Fortune 500 companies sat next to a bartender who works in the neighborhood. In the same class, a friendship between a war correspondent and a professional winemaker was kindled. A famous musician and a school teacher discovered they had more in common than just wine. A vascular surgeon discovered a passion for winemaking, and a flavor scientist found her tribe.

The wine school is a fluid community of humans passionate about wine, and education levels range from GED to Ph.D. Too much of wine culture is centered on homogenous groups. We push back on that bullshit in a way only a wine school in Philly can.

Professional Wine Certification

Sommelier classes are held at our facilities in Philadelphia. Professional certification is not required to attend a course at the Wine School. Like all wine education schools in the USA, we do not directly confer professional or sommelier certifications.

The National Wine School in Vermont is our preferred national accreditor for certification. As a professional certifying body, we believe NWS offers the best professional and reliable certification in the wine trade. For details, we suggest checking out SOMM. Students who achieve a Level III and above qualify for sommelier pins.