Philadelphia, PA — The Wine School of Philadelphia, the flagship campus of the National Wine School (NWS), has launched a new program that’s attracting attention across the industry. The new Quick Pours Series offers short, consumer-friendly wine classes designed not only to make professional wine education more accessible to the public, but also to train and evaluate the next generation of certified wine educators.

Each Quick Pour session is a 45-minute, skill-based tasting taught by candidates in the National Wine School’s Teacher Training Track. This professional certification pathway leads to the Certified Sommelier Instructor (CSI) credential. These classes serve dual purposes: providing engaging, real-world wine education to consumers while offering emerging educators a live environment in which to refine and demonstrate their teaching abilities.

“This program connects both sides of the wine world — education and industry,” says Keith Wallace, Founder of the Wine School of Philadelphia. “Quick Pours give consumers practical, approachable access to great wine education while creating a professional runway for those who want to teach, communicate, and lead in the trade.”

The initiative is part of a broader NWS effort to expand and professionalize wine education across the United States, developing a new standard for certified wine instructors and schools. Graduates of the Teacher Training Track are qualified to teach through NWS-accredited institutions or launch their own approved programs under the National Wine School umbrella.

Alana Zerbe, Director of Wine Education at WSoP and lead architect of the Quick Pours Series, notes that the program was designed to address a long-standing gap in the industry. “We’ve seen plenty of paths to become sommeliers, winemakers, or marketers,” Zerbe says, “but very few structured routes for becoming an effective wine educator. This program changes that.”

Quick Pours sessions cover practical, real-world topics such as how to buy wine at the grocery store, how to order wine at a business dinner, and how to find great bottles under $20. Each class features two curated wines, limited seating, and a post-class networking hour with Wallace and current instructor candidates.

The school plans to expand the format throughout the year, with instructor certification candidates from the Advanced and Master-level programs leading upcoming sessions.

“This is where the next generation of wine instructors begins,” Wallace adds. “It’s a laboratory for talent — and a way for us to identify, mentor, and hire the best educators before they step onto a bigger stage.”

The Quick Pours Series runs weekly at the Wine School of Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse campus and is open to both the public and trade professionals.

For more information, visit www.vinology.com/series/quick-pours.