International Wine Center

Best for: Students seeking WSET courses in New York through one of the oldest wine-education institutions in the United States.
Main credentials: Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) certifications.
Format: Structured wine education with classroom-based WSET programming.
Location: New York City.
Strength: Long institutional history, deep WSET experience, and renewed leadership with direct WSET executive experience.
Watch-out: Students should compare current instructors, classroom environment, scheduling, student support, and course format against other WSET providers before enrolling.
SOMM verdict: International Wine Center remains one of the historically important institutions in American wine education. Its legacy matters, and its current leadership gives the school renewed relevance, but students should still evaluate the present-day classroom experience before choosing a program.

About International Wine Center

International Wine Center, commonly known as IWC, was founded in New York City’s Garment District in 1982. The school is licensed by the New York State Education Department to provide professional training for individuals working in, or preparing to enter, the wine and spirits industry.

IWC is best known for its long association with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. In 1994, it became the first organization in the United States to adopt WSET certifications, helping bring the British wine-education framework into the American market.

History of Manhattan’s Wine School

International Wine Center originally attempted to develop its own independent wine curriculum. Over time, however, the school became best known as a professional training ground for members of the wine trade and later as the leading American home for WSET programming.

A 1988 New York Times article described IWC as “a training ground for numerous members of the wine trade,” reflecting its early role in New York’s professional wine community.

By the mid-1990s, IWC had shifted decisively toward WSET programming. The original credentials included the Higher Certificate in Wines and Spirits and the Diploma in Wines and Spirits. By 2003, IWC had become the WSET headquarters in the United States and one of the country’s most important centers for WSET Diploma study.

More than 300 students have reportedly achieved the WSET Diploma in Wines and Spirits through International Wine Center, making the school one of the most historically significant WSET providers in the American wine-education market.

Mary Ewing-Mulligan MW

International Wine Center is closely associated with Mary Ewing-Mulligan MW, one of the most important figures in American wine education. She was the first woman in the United States to become a Master of Wine and is widely known as the co-author of Wine for Dummies.

Mary Ewing-Mulligan is a leading wine educator, columnist, author, and instructor. The Master of Wine title represents one of the highest levels of achievement in the wine trade, and her role at IWC helped establish the school’s national reputation.

Before joining IWC, Ewing-Mulligan worked at the Italian Trade Commission, where she educated consumers about Italian wine. She later held a senior position at PepsiCo Wines & Spirits before focusing more fully on wine education. She joined International Wine Center in 1984 and helped shape its reputation as a serious training institution for wine professionals and advanced students.

Her role matters because IWC’s reputation is not merely institutional. Much of its authority comes from its association with a nationally recognized wine educator who helped professionalize wine education in the United States.

In the 1980s wine education encompassed imparting straightforward information (which was less accessible before the internet) and enabling experience. Many students were already wine enthusiasts and came to classes with some wine knowledge that they had acquired through reading or through peer learning in wine-tasting clubs and they were interested in tasting opportunities.

The concept of learning about wine to promote one’s career was non-existent, apart from university programs in viticulture and enology. Aspirational learning was limited to the desire to taste finer, more elite wines. That motivation changed with the emergence of post-nominals, particularly The Certified Wine Educator credential (CWE) of the Society of Wine Educators, which gave individuals an opportunity to prove what they know. But WSET, from 1994 in New York, was the first to provide a structure of learning and that was a dramatic change.

Mary Ewing-Mulligan MW

Dave Rudman, DipWSET

International Wine Center added a significant new leadership figure in 2025 when Dave Rudman joined the school as Partner and Managing Director.

Rudman previously worked for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, where he served as Global Business Development Director and as a member of WSET’s Leadership Team. Beginning in 2017, he held several leadership positions at WSET, including Executive Director for WSET Americas Inc. and WSET Asia-Pacific Ltd.

Before WSET, Rudman was Director of Education at Brescome Barton, one of the country’s largest wine, spirits, sake, and beer distributors. He also established Brescome Barton as a WSET Approved Program Provider.

Rudman earned his WSET Level 4 Diploma through International Wine Center in 2019. He also holds WSET credentials in spirits, beer, and sake, and earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management in 2019 with a concentration in sustainability.

His arrival is important because it connects IWC’s historic role in American WSET education with current WSET executive experience. For prospective students, that gives the school a stronger contemporary argument than history alone.

Albert L. Hotchkin Jr., Founder

International Wine Center was founded by Albert L. Hotchkin Jr., a business consultant turned restaurateur. The school was originally located at 144 West 55th Street, above Hotchkin’s Tastings Wine Bar and Restaurant.

During its early years, IWC became a gathering place for wine-industry events and professional tastings in New York City. Tastings Wine Bar closed in 1998, and the school later moved to West 29th Street.

Hotchkin died in 2003, but his role in establishing IWC remains central to the school’s history. International Wine Center was part of an earlier period in American wine education, when formal wine instruction was far less available than it is today.

Wine Education Then and Now

When the International Wine Center opened in the 1980s, wine education looked very different from what it is today. Much of the work involved giving students access to information and tasting opportunities that were not widely available outside the trade.

Many students were wine enthusiasts who had already learned through books, wine clubs, restaurants, retail shops, or informal tasting groups. The idea of wine education as a structured credential pathway was still developing, outside of university programs in viticulture and enology.

That changed as professional credentials became more important. The Certified Wine Educator credential from the Society of Wine Educators provided students with a way to demonstrate formal wine knowledge. WSET, introduced through IWC in New York beginning in 1994, offered a more structured progression of study. That shift helped move wine education from informal enthusiast learning toward professional credentialing.

Courses and Certifications

International Wine Center is primarily known for WSET courses. WSET programs are structured, exam-based, and widely recognized in the wine trade, especially among importers, distributors, retailers, educators, and students seeking formal wine credentials.

For students who want a clear curriculum, standardized exams, and internationally known credentials, IWC remains a serious option. Its long relationship with WSET is the school’s strongest institutional advantage.

Students considering IWC should review current course schedules, instructor assignments, exam availability, classroom format, student support, and total cost before enrolling. The value of any WSET program depends not only on the credential, but also on the quality of instruction and the learning environment.

Current Classroom Experience

International Wine Center’s history is impressive, but students should evaluate the school as it operates today.

Based on SOMM’s firsthand observation, the classroom environment is modest: a smaller room, fold-out tables, fluorescent lighting, and a traditional classroom setup. The teaching format can be presentation-driven, with instruction centered on slides, WSET materials, and structured course content.

For some students, that format may be perfectly appropriate. WSET courses are standardized, exam-oriented programs, and many candidates want a direct, curriculum-focused path. Other students may prefer a more dynamic, discussion-heavy, or hospitality-centered classroom experience.

The practical advice is simple: do not choose IWC solely because of its historic reputation. Compare the current classroom environment, teaching style, instructor fit, schedule, and student support with those of other available WSET providers.

Strengths and Limitations

International Wine Center’s greatest strength is its history. Few American wine schools can claim a longer or more direct role in developing formal wine education in the United States. Its connection to WSET, Mary Ewing-Mulligan MW, and New York’s wine trade gives the school genuine institutional weight.

The school’s newer leadership also matters. Dave Rudman’s WSET executive background gives IWC a more current strategic connection to the credentialing world it helped introduce to the United States.

The limitation is that history and leadership do not automatically define the student experience in every classroom. Prospective students should still compare IWC’s current instruction, classroom environment, support structure, and course delivery with other WSET options in New York.

Competition with Fine Vintage Ltd.

For many years, International Wine Center occupied a dominant position in WSET education in New York. That made sense historically: IWC helped introduce WSET credentials to the United States and became closely identified with the program.

More recently, students have had additional WSET options, including Fine Vintage Ltd. Increased competition is healthy for students. It gives prospective candidates more choice in schedule, format, instructor style, and classroom experience.

International Wine Center’s importance should not be understated. It is one of the foundational institutions in American WSET education. But students seeking the best fit should compare current offerings carefully rather than choosing based on reputation alone.

SOMM Verdict

International Wine Center is one of the most historically important wine schools in the United States. Its role in bringing WSET credentials to the American market gives it a place of real significance in wine-education history.

For students in New York who want WSET certification, IWC remains a credible and established option. Its strongest arguments are institutional legacy, WSET experience, Mary Ewing-Mulligan’s role in American wine education, and Dave Rudman’s more recent WSET leadership background.

The best approach is practical: compare IWC’s current courses, instructors, classroom experience, cost, and student support with those of other available WSET providers. For the right student, International Wine Center can still be a worthwhile path. But its historic reputation should be the starting point for the evaluation, not the end.