Wine Plus+

What Wine Plus+ does

Wine Plus+ is a privately held, founder-owned wine and spirits education company headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia, and operating since 2008 under the leadership of Master of Wine Rhys Pender. The company is an Approved Programme Provider for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), delivering Levels 1, 2, and 3 certifications in wines and spirits across three formats: in-class instruction at four BC locations (Kelowna, Vancouver, Victoria, Tofino), fully online self-paced courses, and hybrid programs combining online lectures with in-person tasting workshops. Pricing ranges from $369 CAD for Level 1 online to $1,795 CAD for Level 3 in-class, with supplementary offerings including Wine Wednesdays workshops, the Master Tasting Club, Remote Invigilation exams, tasting packs, and exam resits.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally thin: a Shopify-based e-commerce storefront for transactions, WSET's Canvas LMS and Kitaboo eBook reader for course delivery, and standard social/email channels for marketing. There is no proprietary technology platform; the competitive product is the credentialed instruction (Rhys Pender MW, Iain Philip, Sharon McLean) and the WSET brand itself.

Revenue is generated primarily through WSET course fees across individual consumers and industry professionals, supplemented by non-certificate workshops, ancillary exam and tasting-pack sales, fee-for-service consulting to wineries, restaurants, retailers, and airlines, and freelance writing services. Corporate group bookings for 7+ students, eligible for the BC Employer Training Grant, add a small enterprise channel. The company has no institutional funding, operates as a sub-50-person team, and functions as a niche, profitable education business anchored in BC with national online reach.

Name

Wine Plus+

Legal name

Wine Plus+

Website

https://wineplus.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wine Plus+ is a WSET-accredited wine and spirits education company founded in 2008, delivering Levels 1-3 certifications online, hybrid, and at four British Columbia locations, plus consulting and workshops for consumers, trade professionals, and corporate groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

akta.pro primary industry

Beverage Craft Classes (Coffee, Tea, Mixology, Wine/Beer Education) (THAJAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

Keywords

• Wine education
• WSET certification
• Spirits training
• Wine workshops
• Beverage consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Kelowna

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. WSET Course Fees: Primary revenue from WSET course registrations including online, hybrid, and in-class formats. Fees vary by level and delivery method, ranging from $369 CAD for Level 1 online to $1,795 CAD for Level 3 in-class. Course fees include study materials (eBook or hard copy options).
2. Exam and Assessment Fees: Revenue from WSET examinations including in-class exams (included in course price) and Remote Invigilation exams ($50 CAD additional). Exam resits available for $137 CAD.
3. Wine Workshops and Events: Non-certificate wine workshops including Wine Wednesdays ($75 CAD per session) and Master Tasting Club (ranging from $95 drop-in to $960 unlimited pass). Tasting pack sales of ISO glasses and carry bags for in-class students.
4. Consulting Services: Fee-for-service consulting engagements for wineries, wine businesses, corporate groups, and airlines covering wine business development, marketing, staff training, blending consulting, and event hosting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wine Plus+ delivers WSET-awarded wine and spirits education courses (Levels 1-3 in Wines; Levels 1-2 in Spirits) in in-person, online, and hybrid formats, supplemented by curated wine workshops, a subscription tasting club, and B2B consulting and writing services for the wine, hospitality, and travel industries.

Product overview

Wine Plus+ is a WSET-accredited education company offering a portfolio of wine and spirits certification courses alongside non-certificate workshops and professional consulting services. The core product portfolio centers on WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) qualifications delivered at Levels 1-3 for both wines and spirits, offered through three distinct delivery formats: in-class instruction at BC locations (Kelowna, Vancouver, Victoria, Tofino), fully online self-paced courses, and hybrid programs combining online lectures with in-person tasting workshops. Supporting offerings include Wine Wednesdays (fun monthly tastings), the Master Tasting Club (industry peer tastings), Remote Invigilation exam services, Tasting Packs, exam resits, writing services, and consulting services for wineries and wine businesses. The company has been WSET-accredited since 2008 and is owned by Master of Wine Rhys Pender MW.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• WSET Level 1 requires 70% pass mark; Level 2 and 3 require 55% pass mark
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Wine Plus+ is an officially accredited WSET Approved Programme Provider (APP) since 2008, authorized to deliver WSET Levels 1-3 Award in Wines and Spirits qualifications. This accreditation is the foundation of their business model and primary revenue source.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Capital Wine School: Washington DC-based WSET Approved Programme Provider offering Levels 1-3 wine and spirits courses plus specialty certifications. Directly comparable as a similarly sized, founder-led WSET APP with classroom and online delivery targeting both trade professionals and enthusiasts.
• Napa Valley Wine Academy: US-based WSET Approved Programme Provider offering Levels 1-3 wine and spirits certification in classroom, online, and hybrid formats. Directly comparable to Wine Plus+ as a regional WSET APP serving wine professionals and enthusiasts, with a similar focus on flexible delivery formats and instructor-led education.
• London Wine Academy: UK-based WSET Approved Programme Provider offering wine education courses and qualifications in classroom and online formats. Closely comparable to Wine Plus+ in product scope (WSET Levels 1-3, spirits) and target market (aspiring wine professionals and serious enthusiasts).
• International Wine Center: New York-based WSET Approved Programme Provider offering WSET Levels 1-3 and spirits courses with classroom and online options. Comparable as a North American WSET APP serving similar trade and enthusiast segments to Wine Plus+.
• Fine Vintage: Long-established WSET Approved Programme Provider operating classroom and online/hybrid WSET courses across multiple international markets including the UK, Hong Kong, and Australia. Comparable in business model — WSET APP with multi-format delivery — though at meaningfully larger geographic scale than Wine Plus+.

Broad incumbents

• Court of Master Sommeliers: Globally recognized sommelier certification body offering Introductory, Certified, and Master Sommelier credentials. Indirectly competes with Wine Plus+ for the same wine professional training wallet, but operates an alternative, more prestige-oriented certification track rather than WSET courses.
• Wine Scholar Guild: International wine education organization offering country-specific Scholar certifications (French, Italian, Spanish) and instructor training programs. Related to Wine Plus+ through shared instructor (Iain Philip is an Instructor of the Year), and overlaps in country-specific wine education, though operates as the credentialing body rather than a single-school APP.

Peers

• Society of Wine Educators:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wineplus
• Facebookfacebook.com/wineplus
• Instagraminstagram.com/wineplus_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/little-farm-winery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Wine Plus+