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 nearly every city from coast to coast. Wine is a fast-growing sector in the US economy, and that 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 are offering a diverse roster of classes and certifications.
This directory covers every notable wine school in the United States offering sommelier certification and wine classes to the public. The growth of wine schools and the wine trade’s reliance on them has grown exponentially over the years. SOMM is the place that each and 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, you can submit your suggestions at the bottom of this page.
Top Wine Schools in the USA
There are hundreds of wine schools across America offering sommelier certification. The following are the top-ranked wine schools. Each school is evaluated by a member of the SOMM team before being included in this list. Each school is also rated by SOMM. For a full explanation of this rating, please see How We Rate Wine Schools. In each listing, we include contact information, address, history of the school, notes about important people, and what type of programs they offer.
- 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. - Wine School of Philadelphia
Consistently ranked as the top wine school in America by critics and students alike.
- San Francisco Wine School
The brain child 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.
Wine Schools By Region
There are over fifty amazing wine schools, located across the country, from Miami to Seattle. With this map, you can zoom into your location and find a wine school near you. Most schools have been reviews by our team of sommeliers and academics. Once you take a class, please contribute to our database by leaving a review!
Online Wine Schools
Online sommelier certification and virtual wine tastings are now a standard offering at wine schools across America. It is especially helpful for people not located in a major city and for folks with mobility issues. 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.
Five Flavors of Wine School
There are five categories of wine schools that you should be familiar with. An Accreditation Body develops testing and standards for certification. An Affiliate Wine School offers programs developed and run by an international corporation. A Consumer Wine School offers fun wine tasting classes without any official certification. A Professional Wine School develops its own curriculum and material. A University or College that offers a wine program. Finally, the top wine schools are on the shortlist of the very best schools in the United States.
Add a Wine School
Do you want to contribute to our database of wine schools? Just contact us using the form below. We need the following information to add your school:
- Name of school
- Business address
- Contact information
- Types of programs offered, including certifications
- 300-500 word description of the school and its founder..
- Link to logo and artwork.