Wine Schools Across America

The wine trade is no longer concentrated in Napa Valley and New York City. There are vineyards in nearly every state and wine shops in almost every major city from coast to coast. Wine is a fast-growing sector in the US economy, which means a growing need for wine-savvy employees and business leaders. Wine schools now stretch across the country in a way they never did before and offer a diverse roster of classes and certifications.

This directory covers every notable school in the United States, offering sommelier certification and wine classes to the public. The growth of wine & sommelier schools and the wine trade’s reliance on them has grown exponentially over the years. SOMM is where every school is reviewed and categorized by an independent board of wine professionals. Let us know if we miss a school you think we should have included.

Top 5 Top Wine Schools

There are hundreds of wine & sommelier schools across America offering sommelier certification. The following are the top-ranked schools. In each listing, we include contact information, address, history of the school, notes about significant people, and what type of programs they offer.

A member of the SOMM team evaluates each school before being included in this list. SOMM also rates each school. For a full explanation of this rating, please see How We Rate Wine Schools.

Wine School of Philadelphia
Consistently ranked as the top sommelier school in America by critics and students alike.

Napa Valley Wine School
The go-to school in Northern California that offers almost every wine certification available.

Fine Vintage LTD
The go-to school for Wine and Spirit Education Trust classes, with classes across the states.

San Francisco Wine School
The brainchild of Master Sommelier David Glancy. A very posh school is perfectly situated.

UNLV Sommelier Academy
This university-backed sommelier school is a rising star in wine education.

Four Flavors of Wine & Sommelier Schools

There are four categories of schools that you should be familiar with. An Accreditation Body develops testing and standards for certification. Wine Schools offer programs designed and run by international corporations and may not be accredited. A Wine Tasting School offers fun wine-tasting classes without any official certificate. A Sommelier School develops its curriculum and material and may be associated with University or College that offers a wine program.

Accreditation

Wine Tastings

Sommelier Schools

Wine Schools

Online Schools

Online sommelier certification and virtual wine tastings are now a standard offering at schools across America. It benefits people not located in a major city and those with mobility issues. Unfortunately, only a few schools excel at both online and in-person classes. We have organized the best schools for online wine education into two lists.

Online

8 Listings

Schools By Region

Over fifty great schools are located across the country, from Miami to Seattle. This map allows you to zoom in on your location and find a school near you. Our team of sommeliers and academics has reviewed most schools. Once you take a class, please contribute to our database by leaving a review!

Wine Schools in America

Wine Schools Across America

Top 5 Top Wine Schools

Four Flavors of Wine & Sommelier Schools

Online Schools

Schools By Region

Alphabetical List of Wine Education in America

American Sommelier to Dallas Wine Education Center

Fine Vintage LTD to International Wine Guild

Kendall College to North American Sommelier Association

Palate Partners School of Wine & Spirits to The House of Wine

The Somm School to Trocadéro Wine School

United States Sommelier Association to Wasatch Academy of Wine

Wine Academy of Las Vegas to Wine School of Philadelphia