San Francisco Wine School + The Secret Wine Bar

This review is for the Secret Wine Bar. The wine bar is more than just a place to drink wine; it's a place to connect, learn, and savor unique wines in a relaxed, welcoming environment. Curated by Master Sommelier David Glancy, the wine selection is extraordinary. Each month, a new theme showcases a diverse array of wines.

Our private tasting with Kristin and David was nothing short of exceptional. From the moment we arrived, their warm hospitality and expert guidance transformed each pour into an engaging story. They anticipated our preferences, answered every question with enthusiasm, and curated a lineup of wines that surprised and delighted us. Thanks to their attentiveness and genuine passion, our event became a fun, memorable celebration of great company—and even better wine.

A transformative deep-dive into Spain’s elite terroirs! I just completed the 2‑day Grandes Pagos de España Terroir Workshop at San Francisco Wine School, and I couldn’t be more thrilled—I passed the exam with flying colors! Over two immersive days, the instruction was impeccable: an expertly curated line-up of single‑estate wines from all 34 members, paired with rich context on geology, climate, language, and vinification styles. The material was rigorous yet deeply rewarding. What struck me most was the level of expertise: led by a Master Sommelier, the course combined scientific precision with passionate storytelling, giving a holistic understanding of Spanish terroir. The tasting format—not just sampling, but dissecting each wine in relation to its specific “pago”—was brilliantly executed. I left feeling not only more knowledgeable, but inspired. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or an engaged enthusiast, this workshop pushes your palate and your mind. Highly recommended, and worth every minute (and glass)!

I had the pleasure of participating in the California Wine Overview & Mendocino class and it was phenomenal!!! I wasn’t aware that I would be in an introductory class with Master-level instruction and information. The facilitator was down to earth and made the content digestible and less intimidating. I left wanting to sign up for future classes. I cannot leave a review without mentioning how accommodating Abby, the Office Manager, was in getting registered for the class. So from beginning to end, the experience was A+

Learning wine is an experience indeed. They taught me which wine will go perfectly with which food, even though the initial taste said something else. An unique experience indeed.

I’ve taken several classes from the San Francisco wine school. The owner is absolutely brilliant and has the wealth of knowledge About wine that he is willing to share. The classes are some of the best hybrid classes I’ve ever taken. I’ve also attended a couple of their tasting events and they two are extremely informative As well as being super fun. I highly recommend. Taking classes from SFWS if you’re looking to get a certification, or just wanting to learn more about wine.

We did a private party with 130 members of our non-profit entrepreneurs group bringing in a speaker and doing a blindfolded dinner. David and his entire team were a pleasure to work with, thinking of every single little detail and being willing to be flexible and accommodate last minute changes as well as the fact we blindfolded everyone for the entire meal. The evening was magical - fantastic paired wines (the Riverbench Brut Rose was my personal favorite) and a great 4 course dinner. Every course was hit from the cheese nosh plate to the goat cheesecake with gingersnap crust. The A/V worked great and the room was beautiful. This is a really great venue if you are looking for private business dinners for groups of 60-90 people. I'd love to come back and take one of their wine classes too.

Fun Fact: * Humans that have been to space = 676 * Master Sommeliers in the world = 273 * Master Somm with Certified Wine Educator Credential = 12 David Glancy (MS, CWE) is one of only 12 in the world! David is also a certified French Wine Scholar, Italian Wine Professional, and Certified Specialist of Spirits. Simply amazing!

Thank you for the fascinating food & wine pairing class about how different foods and flavors like salt, pepper, lemon and chocolate pair with and change the flavors of different types of wines last night! I'm amazed by how much I learned! What a great time! Definitely would like to return for more classes with friends.

Amazing class on blind tasting - super entertaining and engaging the whole two hours of the class I took, definitely go here if you want to learn more while having fun!

The best school in the Bay Area to increase you knowledge. Many programs to choose from Highly recommended.

David is the best instructor I have ever seen. His knowledge of wine and wine-making is very deep and broad. Highly recommend the FWS session in this school.

David is especially gifted at helping students analyze and understand wines. I have attended many different tastings in the past, and David is one of the absolute best! I Better still, San Francisco Wine School's Zoom program is convenient and just as great as a live class. I have the wines shipped to me and either attend live by Zoom, or watch the recording at my convenience. I look forward to many more classes at San Francisco Wine School!

Anyone that knows me can tell you that I don't drink... ever. But today I expanded my knowledge on one the most popular global pastimes that is wine tasting. San Francisco Wine school, taught by Master Sommelier (Somm) David Glancy, was informative, fun, affordable, and to be honest - drinking wine with a one of 269 Master Somm's in the WORLD was pretty cool. What's more rare is that David also has a certification to teach wine. We tasted 3 whites and 3 reds. We learned what to look for, how to read labels, understand the history of wine on earth, how it's made, common adjectives, and so much more.. If you want a fun and educational experience with wine, give them a shout. Classes available online and in person.

Ok, these people are SERIOUS. If you're thinking of taking an 'a la carte' class just for "fun" you will feel very out of place amongst the super intense students who bring their own wine glasses to class, and are studying for their Somm degree. I have toyed with the idea of getting my sommelier certification someday, but after taking a class at the SF Wine School I realized I'm not quite ready for this level of academia. I mean, I love to geek out on wine, but 3-hours or powerpoint presentations and note-taking may just kill the joy for me. Then again, think of all the people I could impress when I recite the grape varietals grown in the Rias Baixas, or the permitted production methods for Madeira, or the percentage of wine exported from Portugal (all of which I promptly forgot after this class). Can totally understand how this is a great place to prep yourself for professional wine stuff - they offer lots of programs at various levels of intensity. And yes, you do get to drink (errr, taste) wine in each class. The professor who taught our Wines of Spain, Portugal and the Mediterranean class was definitely an encyclopedia of knowledge, but the tone of the class is more stuffy than fun. If you've seen the documentary Somm, you'll understand what kinds of characters take wine classes. Don't be fooled by their name "SF Wine School" and think you can hop on over for class after work in SOMA. The classes take place at the Embassy Suites Oyster Point in South SF, not easily accessible by BART. I suppose that's all the more reason to spit your wine, like the real pros do.

We did a private event here on a Saturday night. We had a little under 20 people, but there was definitely room for more. The school curated the wines and created the educational material, which was nice because then we basically didn't have to do any work. All we did was give them a budget and some preferences. David is one of 12 master sommeliers who also is a certified wine educator, and he was a great host. He is an engaging teacher with a sense of humor, and it was easy to pay attention and remember the stuff he was teaching us. We started out with champagne and bites (blini with caviar, goat cheese in phyllo, etc). They don't have retail, but if you really like something, they can help you order it. Next was the most interesting part, which lasted 3-4 hours - the Food and Wine lab in the classroom area. After a lecture, there was a buffet set up with 6 dishes. In front of each person were 6 glasses of very different wines. We were to try a bite of each food with a sip of each wine and take notes so that we could determine what flavors/profiles we liked best together (36 combinations). Then we all went over the responses together. I thought this was the most applicable, interesting, and educational part of the night. We then moved back into the other room for more food and 3 more wines. It's not a place I had considered for events before, but it's actually a great space, and David is an amazing resource. They regularly have classes like this and also other themed ones, as well as formal education programs. I personally loved doing it as a private party. It's a generous amount of wine (basically however much you can / want to drink; we had 11 different bottles available to us), so even though parking is pretty easy (street parking +/- meters), it may be better to take an uber / lyft / taxi so that you can enjoy all of the wine.

Went to an Italian wine dinner with a group of friends last week. The owner and staff were extremely kind and welcoming, yet we found the food to leave a lot to be desired. The facility does not have a full kitchen and food is cooked outside and brought in for serving, which has its inherent challenges. We believe if they continue to host these types of dinners more emphasis must be placed on the food and chef. Being half-Italian and growing up with some of these foods, I feel I have reasonable experience base to comment. The Braciole served was quite thin, dry and mushy. Almost meat-loaf in texture. Nothing like I've had before and not a winner among my friends. The only really great course was the dessert in which we all agreed. The wines themselves were just OK, nothing riveting. Sorry for the harsh review but if you want to charge $165 per person, it better stand up. We have all been to numerous paring dinners at some great establishments and unfortunately did not garner any enthusiasm for this place. The setting is lovely and I can't speak of the wine school, this review is based on a food and wine evening only. There is a lot of room for improvement in this area.

This program created by David Glancy is a must-do for any wine aficionado. Even if you are not looking forward to make a living out of this industry, you won't regret any second for being there. Super professional, great curriculum and a wonderful experience

I am currently enrolled in the San Francisco Wine School's California Wine Appellation Specialist program and it has been an amazing experience. Master Sommelier David Glancy and Maureen Downey are fantastic instructors and bring wine down to earth in a simple, straight-forward way. They make learning about wine fun while cramming loads of information into your brain. This class is suitable for people in the wine industry wishing to broaden their California wine knowledge or for the serious enthusiast. We taste 10ish quality wines in every class, some of the wines we have tasted either from the class or bottles that students have brought include a 1978 Hanzell Pinot Noir, 1985 Ridge Geyserville Zinfandel, 1998 Joseph Phelps Insignia, 2001 Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon and more. The wine you drink in class more than covers the cost of the program. All in all, the SFWS offers fun, informative classes taught by distinguished instructors (including 2 Master Sommeliers) at an amazing value. Highly recommended.

Taught by Master Sommeliers and MW candidates. Classes range from the introductory to in-depth - great for WSET and Advanced Sommelier candidates to strengthen tasting and knowledge! The French Wine Society classes are tough, but help pull together all the lost pieces of information on France. David Glancy is an amazing instructor, with an encyclopedic knowledge of wine regions and wine making, and very helpful in getting ready for tasting at of both WSET and Court of Master Sommeliers testing. i highly recommend!

I just completed the California Wine Appellation Specialist class. This is the second set of classes I have taken at The San Francisco Wine School. The instructors lead by Master Sommelier David Glancy our some of the best in the business. Whether you are a professional looking to go to that next level or a weekend hobbyist this is the school for you.

Just graduated from SF Wine School's California Wine Appellation Specialist certification. The 2 1/2 hour, 8-9 week course was much looked forward to each week. With David Glancy, MS, and Maureen Downey, MW candidate, as instructors, we learned from the Best, and there was never a slow moment. With the tasting of 9-12 wines per session to highlight the AVA's under review each evening brought the information presented into the glass. I am presently enrolled for the upcoming French Wine Scholar program, so this school and its instructors come highly recommended.

I have taken both the French Wine Scholar and the California Intensive classes. Master Sommelier David Glancy is the best wine educator ever! The other instructors are also really good. I leaned so much and really enjoyed the classes! These classes are great for someone starting their wine career, looking to improve their knowledge or just for fun!!