The Texas Wine School

Texas Wine School offers exceptional, multi-certification wine education with industry-recognized instructors, diverse programs, and a commitment to accessibility, making it Texas’s premier destination for wine learning.

The Origin of Texan Wine Education

The Texas Wine School (TWS) founder is James King, who previously ran the sommelier training programs at The Wine House in Los Angeles. After moving to Houston in 2010, he started offering wine classes again. At the time, no schools were offering formal wine courses.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust

King’s notable contribution was introducing the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) certification to Texas. He also expanded the wine school’s programming to include the Society of Wine Educators, the Wine Scholar Guild, the National Wine School, and the North American Sommelier Association, making it one of the first wine schools to offer a diverse lineup of sommelier credentials.

Growth and Leadership Transition

In 2014, James King transitioned ownership of TWS to Liz and Paul Palmer, who were then students at the school. King maintains a minor ownership stake, returning periodically to Houston to teach a class.

Liz Palmer now leads daily operations and teaches at least one weekly class. Walden Pemantle, formerly with the wine distributor Vino Vero, is the school’s Director of Education.

School Location and Facilities

Paul Palmer is the business leader behind the school. He expanded it by building a new classroom in the Art of Cellaring, a wine storage facility he co-founded. The school’s primary location is 2301 Portsmouth St. in Houston, a nondescript grey building with an iron-gated alley entrance and a wooded courtyard.

The school recently expanded and now offers courses in Austin at Wanderlust Wine Company at 610 N. Interstate 35.

Instructors and Courses

Since Mr. King’s departure, the school has expanded its teaching staff and reworked its offerings. Of most interest is the “Specialist of Texas Wine” course led by Dr. Russell Kane, a leader in Texas wine education. They recently expanded the program to offer a Level Two certification as well. They still offer Wine Scholar Guild and Wine & Spirits Education Trust programming. Along with Dr. Kane, the school employs about a dozen wine instructors.

Accreditation and Legal Landscape

As with other proprietary schools in Texas, the Texas Workforce Commission oversees the licensing of vocational institutions, including for-profit wine schools. However, TWS, like many wine schools in Texas, has not been authorized as state law requires for professional schools. This lack of formal state authorization, particularly for WSET franchisees, is a growing concern that WSET has yet to address sufficiently. As a (501)(c)(3) nonprofit since 2019, TWS faces potential legal scrutiny, an issue that raises questions about WSET’s protection of its affiliated institutions.

Media Mentions

This wine school has recently seen quite a few local media mentions.

Pascolini holds certificates from the Istituto di Cultura del Vino and the Italian Sommelier Association (AIS), the largest sommelier association in the world. He’s also an instructor at the  Texas Wine School in Houston, and serves as the Texas delegate of the North American Sommelier Association. 

Paper City Magazine, January 2018

Turning to his current role at the Art of Cellaring, the wine facility in Upper Kirby offers both its members and members of the general public ways to broaden their knowledge. The facility’s Wine School is the only place in the South where someone can earn a WSET diploma

Culture Map Houston, September 2021

Sip Like a Somm at The Wine School. Yes, there’s an exam at the end of WSET Level 1, the school’s beginner-level wine certification class, but owner Liz Palmer promises: “It’s for consumers as much as it is for industry people.”

Houstonia, July 2019

Frequently Asked Questions

What forms of payment are accepted at the wine school?

They accept Google Pay, and all major credit cards are processed through FareHarbor.

Texas Wine School Reviews?

This wine school is well-rated by SOMM due to its high-quality programs and brick-and-mortar location. It is also highly rated by Yelp and Google.