The Texas Wine School

The Texas Wine School (TWS) offers wine education for both casual consumers and trade professionals, running certification programs and single-session tasting classes out of three Texas cities.

The Origin of the Texas Wine School

TWS founder James King previously ran the sommelier training programs at The Wine House in Los Angeles. After moving to Houston in 2010, he started offering wine classes at a time when no schools in Texas were providing formal wine courses.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust

King’s significant early contribution was introducing the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) certification to Texas. He also expanded the 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 in the country to offer a range of credentials under one roof.

Growth and Leadership Transition

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

Liz Palmer now leads daily operations and teaches at least one weekly class. Elva Akin serves as Director of Education.

School Location and Facilities

Paul Palmer is the business leader behind the school. He expanded it by building a new classroom inside the Art of Cellaring, a wine storage facility he co-founded. The school’s primary Houston classroom is at 2302 Norfolk Street in the Upper Kirby District — a nondescript grey building with an iron-gated alley entrance and a wooded courtyard. Additional Houston-area classes are occasionally held at Envy Wine Room, 126 Midway, in Spring, Texas.

The school now offers courses at three locations: Houston at 2302 Norfolk Street; San Antonio at 2820 N. Flores Street in the historic Alta Vista neighborhood; and Austin at Wanderlust Wine Company, 610 N. Interstate 35.

Instructors and Courses

Since King’s departure, the school has expanded its teaching staff and reworked its offerings. The Specialist of Texas Wine course is currently taught by Denise Clarke, a wine educator based in Austin who has focused on Texas wine for more than 15 years. Students receive a copy of “The Wineslinger Chronicles: Texas on the Vine” by Dr. Russell Kane, a widely cited text in Texas wine education. TWS recently expanded the program to include a Level Two certification. The school continues to offer Wine Scholar Guild and WSET programming and employs roughly a dozen instructors.

Accreditation and Credentials

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, TWS operates outside the for-profit licensing framework overseen by the Texas Workforce Commission. The broader credentialing context is worth understanding: WSET acknowledges that its certifications are not part of any federal or state regulatory framework in the United States. WSET qualifications are industry-recognized rather than government-recognized, meaning their value rests on the organization’s reputation and acceptance within the wine trade. This applies to WSET-affiliated schools across the country, not just in Texas.

Media Mentions

Paper City Magazine, January 2018: Instructor Giorgio Pascolini holds certificates from the Istituto di Cultura del Vino and the Italian Sommelier Association (AIS) and serves as the Texas delegate of the North American Sommelier Association.

Culture Map Houston, September 2021: The Art of Cellaring facility in Upper Kirby is described as the only place in the South where someone can earn a WSET Diploma.

Houstonia, July 2019: On the school’s WSET Level 1 class, owner Liz Palmer said it is “for consumers as much as it is for industry people.”