---
title: "Wine courses and certifications: Which are most popular?"
description: "Compare the bodies and schools that teach wine and certify sommeliers. Share of Search among WSET, Court of Master Sommeliers, Wine Scholar Guild, Napa Valley Wine Academy, Institute of Masters of Wine and Society of Wine Educators, the wine courses and certifications Brandwave compares worldwide, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/wine-courses"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Wine courses and certifications: Which are most popular?

Compare the bodies and schools that teach wine and certify sommeliers. Share of Search among WSET, Court of Master Sommeliers, Wine Scholar Guild, Napa Valley Wine Academy, Institute of Masters of Wine and Society of Wine Educators, the wine courses and certifications Brandwave compares worldwide, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Wine courses and certifications
- **Market**: Global
- **Brands compared**: 6
- **Month measured**: Oct 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: WSET, 89%

## Which brand is most popular in search among wine courses and certifications worldwide?

- 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%.
- 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.

## 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.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WSET | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 |
| Court of Master Sommeliers | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 |
| Society of Wine Educators | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Wine Scholar Guild | 4th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Institute of Masters of Wine | 5th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Napa Valley Wine Academy | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about wine courses and certifications

- Asked ChatGPT "Which wine course should I take?": 1. WSET, 2. Court of Master Sommeliers
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best wine certifications?": 1. WSET, 2. Court of Master Sommeliers, 3. Society of Wine Educators, 4. Wine Scholar Guild, 5. Institute of Masters of Wine
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best sommelier certification for a career in wine?": 1. Court of Master Sommeliers, 2. WSET, 3. Society of Wine Educators
- Searched Google, AI Overview "sommelier certification": 1. Court of Master Sommeliers, 2. WSET, 3. Society of Wine Educators
- Searched Google, AI Overview "sommelier course": 1. WSET, 2. Society of Wine Educators, 3. Wine Scholar Guild, 4. Court of Master Sommeliers

Not named in any answer: Napa Valley Wine Academy.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on November 9, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [WSET vs Court of Master Sommeliers: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/court-of-master-sommeliers-vs-wset): 89% against 5.2% Share of Search.
- [WSET vs Wine Scholar Guild: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/wine-scholar-guild-vs-wset): 89% against 2.2% Share of Search.
- [Court of Master Sommeliers vs Wine Scholar Guild: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/court-of-master-sommeliers-vs-wine-scholar-guild): 5.2% against 2.2% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for wine courses and certifications worldwide in October 2026?

- 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.

## Which wine courses and certifications do people search for most?

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | WSET | 89% | 75.9K | -3.2% | WSET |
| 2 | Court of Master Sommeliers | 5.2% | 4.4K | 0.0% | Court of Master Sommeliers |
| 3 | Wine Scholar Guild | 2.2% | 1.9K | 0.0% | Wine Scholar Guild |
| 4 | Napa Valley Wine Academy | 1.9% | 1.6K | 0.0% | Napa Valley Wine Academy |
| 5 | Institute of Masters of Wine | 1.2% | 1K | 0.0% | Institute of Masters of Wine |
| 6 | Society of Wine Educators | 0.56% | 480 | -18.6% | Society of Wine Educators |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nov 2025 | WSET | 97.1K | 90% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Court of Master Sommeliers | 4.4K | 4.1% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Napa Valley Wine Academy | 2.4K | 2.2% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Wine Scholar Guild | 2.4K | 2.2% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Institute of Masters of Wine | 1K | 0.93% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Society of Wine Educators | 590 | 0.55% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | WSET | 114K | 92.3% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Court of Master Sommeliers | 4.4K | 3.6% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Napa Valley Wine Academy | 1.9K | 1.5% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Wine Scholar Guild | 1.9K | 1.5% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Institute of Masters of Wine | 720 | 0.58% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Society of Wine Educators | 590 | 0.48% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | WSET | 117K | 90.5% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Court of Master Sommeliers | 5.4K | 4.2% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Wine Scholar Guild | 2.9K | 2.3% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Napa Valley Wine Academy | 2.4K | 1.9% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Institute of Masters of Wine | 880 | 0.68% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Society of Wine Educators | 590 | 0.46% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | WSET | 95.9K | 90.2% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Court of Master Sommeliers | 4.4K | 4.1% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Wine Scholar Guild | 2.4K | 2.3% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Napa Valley Wine Academy | 1.9K | 1.8% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Institute of Masters of Wine | 1K | 0.94% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Society of Wine Educators | 720 | 0.68% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | WSET | 97.1K | 89.5% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Court of Master Sommeliers | 5.4K | 5% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Wine Scholar Guild | 2.4K | 2.2% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Napa Valley Wine Academy | 1.9K | 1.8% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Institute of Masters of Wine | 1K | 0.92% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Society of Wine Educators | 720 | 0.66% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | WSET | 95.9K | 90.7% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Court of Master Sommeliers | 4.4K | 4.2% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Napa Valley Wine Academy | 1.9K | 1.8% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Wine Scholar Guild | 1.9K | 1.8% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Institute of Masters of Wine | 1K | 0.95% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Society of Wine Educators | 590 | 0.56% | 6 |
| May 2026 | WSET | 94.9K | 90.8% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Court of Master Sommeliers | 4.4K | 4.2% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Napa Valley Wine Academy | 1.9K | 1.8% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Wine Scholar Guild | 1.9K | 1.8% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Institute of Masters of Wine | 880 | 0.84% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Society of Wine Educators | 590 | 0.56% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | WSET | 79.4K | 88.6% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Court of Master Sommeliers | 5.4K | 6% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Wine Scholar Guild | 1.9K | 2.1% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Napa Valley Wine Academy | 1.6K | 1.8% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Institute of Masters of Wine | 720 | 0.8% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Society of Wine Educators | 590 | 0.66% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | WSET | 78.4K | 89.5% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Court of Master Sommeliers | 4.4K | 5% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Napa Valley Wine Academy | 1.9K | 2.2% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Wine Scholar Guild | 1.9K | 2.2% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Institute of Masters of Wine | 480 | 0.55% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Society of Wine Educators | 480 | 0.55% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | WSET | 78.4K | 89.3% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Court of Master Sommeliers | 4.4K | 5% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Wine Scholar Guild | 1.9K | 2.2% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Napa Valley Wine Academy | 1.6K | 1.8% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Institute of Masters of Wine | 880 | 1% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Society of Wine Educators | 590 | 0.67% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | WSET | 78.4K | 89.2% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Court of Master Sommeliers | 4.4K | 5% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | Wine Scholar Guild | 1.9K | 2.2% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Napa Valley Wine Academy | 1.6K | 1.8% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Institute of Masters of Wine | 1K | 1.1% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Society of Wine Educators | 590 | 0.67% | 6 |
| Oct 2026 | WSET | 75.9K | 89% | 1 |
| Oct 2026 | Court of Master Sommeliers | 4.4K | 5.2% | 2 |
| Oct 2026 | Wine Scholar Guild | 1.9K | 2.2% | 3 |
| Oct 2026 | Napa Valley Wine Academy | 1.6K | 1.9% | 4 |
| Oct 2026 | Institute of Masters of Wine | 1K | 1.2% | 5 |
| Oct 2026 | Society of Wine Educators | 480 | 0.56% | 6 |

## How are branded searches counted for wine courses and certifications?

- **Court of Master Sommeliers**: Measured on the search term “court of master sommeliers”.
- **Institute of Masters of Wine**: Measured on the search term “institute of masters of wine”.
- **Napa Valley Wine Academy**: Measured on the search term “napa valley wine academy”.
- **Society of Wine Educators**: Measured on the search term “society of wine educators”.
- **Wine Scholar Guild**: Measured on the search term “wine scholar guild”.
- **WSET**: Measured on the search terms “wine and spirit education trust” and “wset”, summed into one figure.

- [Court of Master Sommeliers](/demand/global-en/brands/court-of-master-sommeliers)
- [Institute of Masters of Wine](/demand/global-en/brands/institute-of-masters-of-wine)
- [Napa Valley Wine Academy](/demand/global-en/brands/napa-valley-wine-academy)
- [Society of Wine Educators](/demand/global-en/brands/society-of-wine-educators)
- [Wine Scholar Guild](/demand/global-en/brands/wine-scholar-guild)
- [WSET](/demand/global-en/brands/wset)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among wine courses and certifications worldwide?

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. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Wine courses and certifications: Which are most popular?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/wine-courses

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/wine-courses. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.