Wine Schools in America

Top Wine & Sommelier Schools in the USA
Schools By Region
Online Schools
Five Flavors of Wine & Sommelier Schools
Alphabetical List of Wine Education in America
Add a School

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. If we are missing a school you think we should have included, let us know.

Top Wine & Sommelier Schools in the USA

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

Wine School of Philadelphia
Consistently ranked as the top somm 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 perfectly situated.

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

Schools By Region

Over fifty great schools are located across the country, from Miami to Seattle. With this map, you can zoom in to 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!

Online Schools

Online sommelier certification and virtual wine tastings are now a standard offering at schools across America. It is beneficial for people not located in a major city and folks 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 Sommelier Courses

Virtual Wine Tastings

Five Flavors of Wine & Sommelier Schools

There are five categories of schools that you should be familiar with. An Accreditation Body develops testing and standards for certification. An Affiliate School offers programs designed and run by an international corporation. A Consumer School offers fun wine tasting classes without any official certificate. A Professional School develops its curriculum and material. A University or College that offers a wine program. Finally, the top schools are on the shortlist of the very best schools in the United States.