Wine courses and certifications:Which are most popular?
In October 2026, WSET was the most searched wine courses and certification brand worldwide, accounting for 89% of all searches among the six brands tracked by the Brandwave Brand Demand Index. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, WSET and Court of Master Sommeliers showed up in every answer. WSET was recommended most often, coming first in three out of five responses.
WSETShare of searches 89%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
Court of Master SommeliersShare of searches 5.2%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
Wine Scholar GuildShare of searches 2.2%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
Napa Valley Wine AcademyShare of searches 1.9%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
Institute of Masters of WineShare of searches 1.2%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
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Top wine courses and certifications in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, WSET and Court of Master Sommeliers appeared every time. WSET was recommended most often, coming first in three out of five answers. Court of Master Sommeliers was second, and Society of Wine Educators was third. Napa Valley Wine Academy, which ranked fourth in searches, was not mentioned at all.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- WSET5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Court of Master Sommeliers5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Society of Wine Educators4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Wine Scholar Guild2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Institute of Masters of Wine1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Napa Valley Wine Academy0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about wine courses and certifications
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which wine course should I take?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best wine certifications?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best sommelier certification for a career in wine?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sommelier certification”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sommelier course”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on November 9, 2026.
Sites the answers about wine courses and certifications cited
13 sites
wsetglobal.com, cited in 3 of 5 answers
mastersommeliers.org, cited in 3 of 5 answers
societyofwineeducators.org, cited in 2 of 5 answers
youtube.com, cited in 2 of 5 answers
napavalleywineacademy.com, cited in 2 of 5 answers
internationalsommelier.com, cited in 2 of 5 answers
wineschool.us, cited in 2 of 5 answers
winescholarguild.com, cited in 1 of 5 answers
mastersofwine.org, cited in 1 of 5 answers
winefolly.com, cited in 1 of 5 answers
somm.us, cited in 1 of 5 answers
reddit.com, cited in 1 of 5 answers
Which wine courses and certifications do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each wine courses and certification brand by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six wine courses and certification brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for WSET, Court of Master Sommeliers, Wine Scholar Guild. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | WSET | Court of Master Sommeliers | Wine Scholar Guild | Napa Valley Wine Academy | Institute of Masters of Wine | Society of Wine Educators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 90% | 4.1% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 0.93% | 0.55% |
| Dec 2025 | 92.3% | 3.6% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.58% | 0.48% |
| Jan 2026 | 90.5% | 4.2% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 0.68% | 0.46% |
| Feb 2026 | 90.2% | 4.1% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 0.94% | 0.68% |
| Mar 2026 | 89.5% | 5% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 0.92% | 0.66% |
| Apr 2026 | 90.7% | 4.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.95% | 0.56% |
| May 2026 | 90.8% | 4.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.84% | 0.56% |
| Jun 2026 | 88.6% | 6% | 2.1% | 1.8% | 0.8% | 0.66% |
| Jul 2026 | 89.5% | 5% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 0.55% | 0.55% |
| Aug 2026 | 89.3% | 5% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1% | 0.67% |
| Sep 2026 | 89.2% | 5% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 0.67% |
| Oct 2026 | 89% | 5.2% | 2.2% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 0.56% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 89% | 75.9K | -3.2% | -0.2 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 5.2% | 4.4K | 0% | +0.2 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 2.2% | 1.9K | 0% | +0.1 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 1.9% | 1.6K | 0% | +0.1 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 1.2% | 1K | 0% | 0 points | |
| 6, held 6th | 0.56% | 480 | -18.6% | -0.1 points |
1.
WSET89%
Held 1st. 75.9K estimated branded searches, -3.2% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.
Held 2nd. 4.4K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.
2.2%
Held 3rd. 1.9K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
1.9%
Held 4th. 1.6K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
Held 5th. 1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
0.56%
Held 6th. 480 estimated branded searches, -18.6% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among wine courses and certifications worldwide?
6 brands
In October 2026, WSET was the most searched among wine courses and certification brands worldwide, with an estimated 75.9K branded searches, 89% of all searches for the six tracked by the Brandwave Brand Demand Index. Court of Master Sommeliers is in 2nd place, 83.8 percentage points behind at 5.2%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WSET | 90% → 89% | 92.3%Dec 2025 | 88.6%Jun 2026 | 1st |
| Court of Master Sommeliers | 4.1% → 5.2% | 6%Jun 2026 | 3.6%Dec 2025 | 2nd |
| Wine Scholar Guild | 2.2% | 2.3%Feb 2026 | 1.5%Dec 2025 | 4th → 3rd |
| Napa Valley Wine Academy | 2.2% → 1.9% | 2.2%Nov 2025 | 1.5%Dec 2025 | 3rd → 4th |
| Institute of Masters of Wine | 0.93% → 1.2% | 1.2%Oct 2026 | 0.55%Jul 2026 | 5th |
| Society of Wine Educators | 0.55% → 0.56% | 0.68%Feb 2026 | 0.46%Jan 2026 | 6th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, WSET’s share of searches among wine courses and certifications worldwide decreased from 90% to 89%.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Court of Master Sommeliers’ share of searches among wine courses and certifications worldwide increased from 4.1% to 5.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, WSET’s share of searches among wine courses and certifications worldwide peaked at 92.3% in December 2025 and was lowest at 88.6% in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Court of Master Sommeliers’ share of searches among wine courses and certifications worldwide peaked at 6% in June 2026 and was lowest at 3.6% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Wine Scholar Guild rose from 4th to 3rd among wine courses and certifications worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Napa Valley Wine Academy fell from 3rd to 4th among wine courses and certifications worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Institute of Masters of Wine and Society of Wine Educators held steady: their share of searches among wine courses and certifications worldwide each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for wine courses and certifications worldwide in October 2026?
5 changes
Institute of Masters of Wine’s share of searches among wine courses and certifications worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 0.55% to 1.2% in October 2026.
WSET’s share of searches among wine courses and certifications worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 89.5% to 89% in October 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Napa Valley Wine Academy worldwide fell 33.3% over 12 measured months, from 2.4K to 1.6K in October 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Wine Scholar Guild worldwide fell 20.8% over 12 measured months, from 2.4K to 1.9K in October 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Society of Wine Educators worldwide fell 18.6% over 12 measured months, from 590 to 480 in October 2026.
How are branded searches counted for wine courses and certifications?
7 search terms
Each brand's share of searches among wine courses and certifications comes from the terms listed under its name. When people mostly search for a brand because of something else it sells, only the searches that name this product count here.
WSET
2 branded search terms
- wine and spirit education trust
- wset
Court of Master Sommeliers
1 branded search term
- court of master sommeliers
Wine Scholar Guild
1 branded search term
- wine scholar guild
Napa Valley Wine Academy
1 branded search term
- napa valley wine academy
Institute of Masters of Wine
1 branded search term
- institute of masters of wine
Society of Wine Educators
1 branded search term
- society of wine educators
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