Why study with Napa Valley Wine Academy?
Because wine is better understood together, and we built a school around that idea. Since our first class of six in a borrowed Napa kitchen in 2012, more than 53,530 students have learned with us, online and in person. And we show our work: pass rates with the candidates behind them, a faculty you can meet by name, and a team that answers within a day.
- Seven questions people ask before choosing a WSET school, each answered with something you can check
- Real numbers, named people, dated awards. Nothing you have to take on faith.
WSET Global Wine Educator
of the Year — 2016 & 2019
WSET Approved Programme Provider
and Diploma centre
Four Masters of Wine on faculty
Evidence
Will I pass?
Most of our students do, and we'll tell you exactly how many. WSET doesn't publish pass rates, so no school can honestly compare itself with another. What we can do is show you ours, level by level, first attempts only, with the candidate numbers beside them. You'll see where the path is smooth and where it climbs, and we'll help you prepare for both.
Level 3 is the step up, and it's the written paper that catches most candidates, not the tasting. Our Level 3 study guide shows you how to plan for it.
Faculty
Who will teach me?
People who have sat the exams they teach, and who remember what it felt like. Four Masters of Wine, two Master of Wine candidates and six DipWSET holders teach the Diploma, and every WSET course is led by a WSET-certified educator. Each instructor has a profile, so you can meet your teacher before you meet your textbook.
Institute of Masters of Wine, February 2026
Support
What happens when I get stuck?
You reach a person, quickly. Our Student Success Team is on phone, email and chat through the working week, and the Help Center never closes. Exam questions go to a dedicated Exams Officer. Diploma students get open office hours with the Diploma Director twice a week, no appointment needed.
Under 24 hours on business days
Above 4 out of 5, measured after every support conversation
855-513-WSET (9738), Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Pacific
help.napavalleywineacademy.com, open 24/7
Formats
Can I fit it around my life?
Yes. Three ways to study, one qualification, and you set the pace. Start tonight on your own, join a cohort with a live instructor, or come to Napa and taste with us in person.
Starts the moment you enroll, 12 months of access, no live sessions. Levels 1 and 2.
A dedicated instructor, classmates and recorded webinars on a set schedule. Levels 1 to 3, spirits, beer and sake, and the Diploma.
Napa, Nashville and Tampa, with the wines poured for you. Level 3 in Napa tastes 85 benchmark wines across five class days.
Level 1 and 2 exams are taken online with remote invigilation. Level 3 and Diploma exams are sat in person, as they are everywhere in the world.
Learning
Will I actually taste the wines, and will I be learning alone?
Wine kits for online courses
Tasting is the heart of how we teach, so in 2019 we began shipping wine kits for our online courses: the same wines in every glass, tasted together on the webinar. More than 5,100 kits went out in 2024. Supplied by our partner Small Lot Bottles in 100 ml samples, and always optional.
Wines poured in class
In person, the wines are already on the table. Level 3 in Napa tastes 85 benchmark wines; Level 2 around 30 over two days.
A cohort, then a community
Every course has a student discussion space, with a Discord community alongside it. When the course ends, Premier Crew™ keeps the conversation going with monthly tastings and study tools for your next level.
Travel with faculty
Study where the wine is made: Argentina, Burgundy and Piemonte with our instructors, or a harvest in Napa.
Scholarships
Great wine education should be open to more people. We fund places with Wine Unify, the Pink Boots Society and the United States Bartenders' Guild.
Graded practice, not just videos
Assignments and mock exams are graded by real instructors, so you know where you stand long before exam day.
Recognition
Who else trusts them?
We're a WSET Approved Programme Provider and one of a small number of WSET Diploma centres in the United States. We're proud of our awards, so we list only the ones with a name and a year attached.
Riedel Trophy for WSET Educator of the Year, WSET Global. The only school to have won it twice.
Best of Wine Tourism, Regional Winner, Wine Tourism Services. Great Wine Capitals.
Best Wine Education Experience. Best of the North Bay.
Wine Business Monthly named NVWA and its founders Wine Industry Leaders; Wine Industry Advisor listed Christian Oggenfuss among Wine's Most Inspiring People.
Graduates
In our students' words
"I did my WSET Level 1 with another provider, and the Level 2 with Napa Valley Wine Academy really set the bar much higher for quality of instruction, preparation of students, and interaction during a virtual class."
"I had the distinct pleasure of learning that I had passed the WSET Level 3 certification with merit. The Harvest Class at the end of September was superb and a fantastic interactive learning experience."
"The academy brings in professionals at the top of the industry. I feel like NVWA has given me the confidence and education I need to take the next step, which for me is MW."
Start
Where to start
Pick the course that matches where you are today, not where you think you should be. Every price includes your first exam sitting, and prices update automatically from our course catalog.
I love wine and want the qualification employers recognize
I work with wine and want to explain why it tastes the way it does
I hold Level 3 and want the credential behind the Master of Wine
Not sure which level?
Take the two-minute find-your-level check, read WSET levels explained, or just call us. We'll tell you honestly whether to start lower or skip ahead. The right fit matters more to us than the bigger sale.