International Sommelier Guild

What International Sommelier Guild does

International Sommelier Guild (ISG), founded in 1982 and headquartered in Tamarac, Florida, is a private professional education company that delivers a progressive sommelier and wine credentialing pathway. ISG serves hospitality professionals, wine trade professionals, career entrants, wine educators, and corporate hospitality groups through a structured certification stack consisting of the Intermediate Wine Certificate (IWC, $550–$850), Advanced Wine Certificate (AWC, $1,150–$1,450), Sommelier Diploma Program (SDP, $8,000–$8,500), ISGM Master's program ($16,000–$20,000), and an optional ISGM Degree via 10,000-word dissertation ($1,500). Adjacent offerings include the Teacher Education Program (TEP, $650) for instructor qualification and the Fundamentals of Wine (FWC) one-day program for hotel and restaurant groups.

The educational platform is built on in-house proprietary content delivered in 20+ languages, with a standardized curriculum and assessment framework applied uniformly across online self-paced, live online, and in-person classroom formats. Course materials consist of recorded lectures by qualified sommeliers, proprietary tasting assessment methodologies, and standardized textbooks with perpetual post-graduation access. Delivery is operated through approved classroom training locations and institutional partnerships with universities, government ministries, and professional bodies across more than 20 countries spanning North America, Latin America, Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia.

ISG generates revenue primarily through one-time tuition payments for individual program enrollment, supplemented by corporate group training contracts (FWC) and instructor qualification fees (TEP). The go-to-market combines direct online enrollment, regional classroom partners, and institutional channels. The company is founder-owned (Joseph Miller serves as President and Founder), operates with 11-50 employees, has no disclosed external funding, and has been recognized by Liquor.com as a leading online sommelier program since 2017.

Name

International Sommelier Guild

Legal name

International Sommelier Guild

Website

https://internationalsommelier.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Sommelier Guild is a private, founder-owned professional wine and sommelier education company founded in 1982, delivering a progressive certification pathway (IWC, AWC, SDP, ISGM) to hospitality professionals, wine trade, and corporate groups across 20+ countries via online, live online, and classroom formats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Wine & Sommelier Education

NAICS

Junior Colleges (6112)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Bar & Beverage (Bartending/Mixology/Coffee/Tea) (EDAOAKAH)

Keywords

• Sommelier certification
• Wine education
• Hospitality training
• Beverage certification
• Professional sommelier courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Tamarac

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Professional Wine Education Certification: ISG generates revenue primarily through tuition fees for its progressive certification programs: Intermediate Wine Certificate (IWC), Advanced Wine Certificate (AWC), Sommelier Diploma Program (SDP), and ISGM. Programs are priced differently for online vs classroom delivery. All tuition includes examinations and official learning materials with no hidden fees. Online students may repeat examinations at no additional charge.
2. Teacher Education Program (TEP): TEP is a three-day intensive seminar for instructor qualification with tuition of $650 per participant, serving as a revenue stream for qualifying new instructors.
3. Fundamentals of Wine Course (FWC): One-day professional training course for hotel and restaurant groups, currently offered in South America, Middle East, Asia, and selected North America locations. Revenue generated through group bookings for organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

International Sommelier Guild is a credentialing authority that sells professional sommelier and wine education programs through a progressive certification pathway — Intermediate Wine Certificate (IWC), Advanced Wine Certificate (AWC), Sommelier Diploma Program (SDP), ISGM Master's, ISGM Degree, Teacher Education Program (TEP), and Fundamentals of Wine (FWC). Programs are delivered via online self-paced, live online, and in-person classroom formats following a single standardized curriculum and assessment framework across 20+ languages and 5 continents. All tuition includes official learning materials and examinations with no external materials required.

Product overview

International Sommelier Guild offers a comprehensive professional wine and hospitality education system consisting of a progressive certification pathway with multiple delivery formats. The core product lineup includes: the Intermediate Wine Certificate (IWC) as the foundational entry point; the Advanced Wine Certificate (AWC) providing regional and advanced applied wine knowledge; the Sommelier Diploma Program (SDP) as the flagship professional credential; the ISGM (International Sommelier Guild Master's) offering advanced multidisciplinary studies in enology, wine business management, and nutrition; the ISGM Degree for dissertation-based research; the Teacher Education Program (TEP) for instructor qualification; and the Fundamentals of Wine (FWC) for hospitality teams. Education is delivered through three platform formats: Online Learning (self-paced recorded lectures), Live Online Education (real-time instructor-led), and In-Classroom Education (in-person weekly sessions). All programs follow a standardized curriculum and assessment framework across both online and classroom delivery, with identical academic and credential outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Intermediate Wine Certificate (IWC) Foundational professional wine education program introducing major wine varieties, wine evaluation, service fundamentals, and introductory cellaring principles. Consists of 7 instructional sessions totaling 24 clock hours, available online ($550) and classroom ($850) with IWC Book, 24/7 worldwide access, and perpetual textbook access after graduation. Designed for career entrants and serious wine enthusiasts seeking a structured starting point.
• Advanced Wine Certificate (AWC) Regional and advanced applied wine knowledge program building on the IWC foundation, covering Old World and New World wine regions, viticulture, vinification, regional appellation laws, and professional service skills. Consists of 13 instructional sessions totaling 48 clock hours, available online ($1,150) and classroom ($1,450). Bundle pricing with IWC saves $350.
• Sommelier Diploma Program (SDP) ISG's flagship professional credential providing comprehensive professional, operational, and leadership training for senior-level sommelier competence. Integrates advanced wine education with hospitality operations, business management, and leadership competencies. Consists of 30 instructional sessions totaling 308 hours, available online hybrid ($8,000) and classroom ($8,500). Bundle with IWC+AWC saves $1,150.
• ISGM (International Sommelier Guild Master's) Advanced multidisciplinary studies program integrating enology, wine business management, nutrition, and sommellerie. Structured as a 90-week course totaling 1,817 instructional hours, preparing graduates for senior professional, managerial, and academic pathways. Available online hybrid ($16,000) and classroom ($20,000). Bundle of IWC+AWC+SDP+ISGM saves $5,700.
• ISGM Degree Highest level of ISG academic education requiring submission of a 10,000-word dissertation developed under educational mentor guidance. Available exclusively to ISGM graduates pursuing research-based academic study. Dissertation fee of $1,500.
• Teacher Education Program (TEP) Academic, instructional, and professional standards program for qualifying ISG instructors. Three-day intensive seminar (in person or remote) with tuition of $650 per participant. Establishes standards for instructional environment preparation, curriculum-aligned delivery, student engagement, and examination preparation. Transportation and accommodations not included.
• Fundamentals of Wine (FWC) One-day professional training course consisting of 8 clock hours of structured instruction designed for hotel and restaurant teams. Provides essential wine knowledge for real service environments. Not available to individual participants; sold through direct corporate bookings. Currently offered in South America, Middle East, Asia, and selected North America locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students can study at their own pace with no time limits, and online students retain perpetual access to textbooks after graduation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• Georgian Technical UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Georgian Technical University for delivery of ISG sommelier education programs in Georgia, part of ISG's global institutional network of university partnerships.
• Georgian Ministry of Environmental Protection and AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry partnership for sommelier and wine education in Georgia, supporting professional development in the wine industry.
• Swiss Sommelier AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Swiss Sommelier Association for sommelier education delivery and professional certification in Switzerland.
• Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist BoardregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism board partnership supporting sommelier training for hospitality professionals in the Caribbean region.
• Ministry of Agriculture in ChinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry partnership for delivering ISG wine education programs in China, supporting professional wine industry development.
• Manipal Institute of Tourism and Hospitality (India)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Manipal Institute of Tourism and Hospitality in India for delivering ISG sommelier certification programs to hospitality students and professionals.
• Leading Wine School in BrazilregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with a leading wine school in Brazil for sommelier education delivery in South America.
• National Wine Distributor in VietnamregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with a national wine distributor in Vietnam for distributing ISG education programs to wine trade professionals.
• Sommelier Schools in LatviaregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal sommelier school partnership for ISG program delivery in Latvia.
• Sommelier Schools in RussiaregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal sommelier school partnerships for ISG program delivery in Russia, including classroom locations in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
• Sommelier Schools in TurkeyregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal sommelier school partnerships for ISG program delivery in Turkey, including locations in Istanbul, Ankara, Bodrum, and Izmir.
• Sommelier Schools in UAEregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerSommelier school partnerships for ISG program delivery in the UAE, supporting Middle East expansion.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Le Cordon Bleu: Le Cordon Bleu is a global network of culinary and hospitality schools offering culinary, wine, and management programs across multiple continents. It is a broad incumbent in culinary-hospitality education with overlap to ISG's sommelier and wine business curriculum.
• Culinary Institute of America (CIA): The CIA is the leading US culinary education institution offering degree and certificate programs in culinary arts and hospitality, including wine and beverage tracks. While broader in scope, the CIA competes for hospitality students who might otherwise pursue ISG's sommelier pathway.

Emerging players

• Wine Folly: Wine Folly is a digital wine education platform with strong content marketing, courses, and a Master Sommelier-led credential offering. It represents an emerging digital-first challenger to ISG's online programs, leveraging modern UX and content marketing to capture the enthusiast-to-professional entry point.
• MasterClass: MasterClass offers subscription-based video courses from world-renowned experts including Master Sommeliers teaching wine. It targets enthusiast learners at lower price points than ISG's professional certifications and represents a downstream substitute for ISG's enthusiast-segment online programs.

Direct peers

• Society of Wine Educators (SWE): SWE offers the Certified Wine Educator (CWE) and Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) credentials widely recognized across the US wine trade and education market. SWE competes directly with ISG for career-track wine professionals seeking teaching and trade-oriented credentials.
• Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS): CMS administers the elite Master Sommelier Diploma through Introductory, Certified, and Master Sommelier levels, focusing on service, theory, and blind tasting. While more selective and prestige-oriented than ISG, CMS is the benchmark credential ISG's flagship SDP is benchmarked against in the global hospitality industry.
• International Wine Center: International Wine Center offers sommelier training programs in New York with multiple certification levels. It is a direct US-market competitor to ISG's classroom offerings, serving a similar hospitality professional customer base.
• Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET): WSET is the world's largest provider of wine and spirits qualifications, offering progressive certifications (Levels 1-4 plus Diploma) across 70+ countries. It is ISG's most direct global competitor in tiered wine education and credentialing, with a similarly standardized curriculum delivered through approved program providers.
• American Sommelier Association: The American Sommelier Association offers sommelier certification programs including introductory through advanced levels, primarily based in New York with classroom delivery across the US. It competes head-to-head with ISG's North American classroom programs for hospitality professionals.
• Wine School of America: Wine School of America provides online wine education and certification programs targeting enthusiasts and professionals in the US market. It is a digital-first competitor to ISG's online delivery tier with overlapping course structures.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Sommelier Guild