Wine Academy of Las Vegas

Best for: Hospitality professionals, wine-trade students, and serious consumers in Las Vegas seeking WSET or Wine Scholar Guild programs.
Main credentials: WSET, French Wine Scholar, and Italian Wine Scholar.
Format: In-person wine education and certification courses.
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, near the Strip.
Strength: Strong hospitality and academic leadership, with direct ties to Las Vegas’s professional food-and-beverage culture.
Watch-out: The school’s identity is closely tied to WSET, but students should distinguish between WSET and Wine Scholar Guild programs before enrolling.
SOMM verdict: Wine Academy of Las Vegas is a credible regional option for students who want structured wine education in a major hospitality market, especially those pursuing WSET or Wine Scholar Guild credentials.

About Wine Academy of Las Vegas

Founded in 2018, Wine Academy of Las Vegas is the region’s first local WSET-affiliated wine school. The school primarily serves hospitality professionals seeking certification, though many serious consumers also attend to deepen their wine knowledge and tasting skills.

The academy positions WSET-certified programs as a major standard in professional wine education. It also offers French Wine Scholar and Italian Wine Scholar programs through the Wine Scholar Guild, giving students access to both general wine-certification pathways and region-specific study.

Courses and Certifications

Wine Academy of Las Vegas offers WSET programs as its core credential track. These courses are especially relevant for restaurant, hotel, casino, retail, and beverage professionals working in or around Las Vegas.

The school also offers Wine Scholar Guild programming, including French Wine Scholar and Italian Wine Scholar. These programs are more regionally focused than WSET and are generally better suited for students who want deeper study of France or Italy rather than a broad global wine curriculum.

The school’s course mix gives students several different paths, but those paths are not interchangeable. A WSET course, a French Wine Scholar program, and an Italian Wine Scholar program each serve a different educational purpose.

Location and Format

Wine Academy of Las Vegas is located just minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, placing it near one of the most important hospitality markets in the United States. That location is a meaningful advantage for students working in hotels, restaurants, casinos, beverage programs, and event venues.

Courses are taught by certified professionals with backgrounds in hospitality, wine education, and academic instruction. The school emphasizes approachable teaching and a professional classroom environment.

There was previously a Los Angeles Wine Academy that disappeared sometime around early 2022, but there does not appear to be a meaningful connection between that organization and Wine Academy of Las Vegas.

Founder and Leadership

Wine Academy of Las Vegas was founded by Gina Marano, whose career combines hospitality operations, wine education, and academic teaching.

Marano began her hospitality career at Perkins Family Restaurants in Idaho Falls, where she worked in several roles from 2006 to 2012. That early restaurant experience gave her a practical foundation in food-and-beverage service before she moved into higher-end hospitality and wine education.

In 2013, Marano worked as a Banquets Intern at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in Las Vegas. She later served as Foundation Room Operations Manager and Large Party Dining Manager at House of Blues Entertainment in Las Vegas from 2013 to 2014. Those positions gave her direct experience in hospitality management, events, and large-format dining operations.

Marano then moved into academic hospitality education. In 2015, she joined the University of Nevada, Las Vegas as a Graduate Assistant, assisting Hotel College faculty with research and undergraduate classes. In 2016, she became an instructor at UNLV, teaching subjects including New World Wines, Old World Wines, restaurant management, hospitality purchasing and cost control, and the business of wine.

Marano also pursued doctoral studies in hospitality at UNLV from 2017 to 2020. During that period, she taught additional classes in hospitality service management, hospitality purchasing and cost control, internships, and special events management.

Accreditation, Licensing, and Credential Context

Wine Academy of Las Vegas is best understood as a professional wine-education provider offering third-party wine credentials. Its WSET programs are affiliated with Wine & Spirit Education Trust, while its French Wine Scholar and Italian Wine Scholar programs are offered through Wine Scholar Guild.

Students should understand that these credentials are industry-recognized rather than government-issued licenses in the United States. Their value depends on the reputation of the issuing organization, the quality of the curriculum, exam structure, and recognition within parts of the wine and hospitality trade.

For Las Vegas students, that distinction matters. A credential can be useful for professional development, but it is not the same as a state license or academic degree.

Strengths and Limitations

Wine Academy of Las Vegas’s strongest advantage is its location. Las Vegas is one of the country’s most important hospitality markets, and students have access to wine education in a city where beverage knowledge can have direct professional relevance.

The school also benefits from Gina Marano’s combination of hospitality operations, academic teaching, and wine-instruction experience. That background gives the academy a stronger educational foundation than many small credential providers.

The main limitation is that students need to be clear about which credential path they are choosing. WSET, French Wine Scholar, and Italian Wine Scholar courses are all valuable in different contexts, but they do not carry the same purpose, scope, or recognition. Students should choose based on career goals, not simply on the prestige of a credentialing name.

SOMM Verdict

Wine Academy of Las Vegas is a strong regional wine school for students in Nevada and the broader Las Vegas hospitality market. It is especially well suited for restaurant, hotel, casino, and beverage professionals who want structured wine education without leaving the region.

The school’s WSET affiliation gives students access to one of the best-known international wine-education systems, while its Wine Scholar Guild programs provide more focused study for students interested in France or Italy. Its founder’s background in hospitality operations and UNLV teaching gives the school additional credibility.

For students seeking a practical, credential-oriented wine school in Las Vegas, Wine Academy of Las Vegas is a serious option.