PHILADELPHIA, PA – May 27th – The Wine School of Philadelphia has named Anna Binkovitz its 2025 Sommelier Student of the Year, spotlighting one of the city’s most compelling new voices in wine and hospitality.
A former slam poet from Minnesota with a background in whiskey education, Binkovitz came to Philadelphia during the pandemic and quickly found her way into the city’s restaurant community—and into the classrooms of the Wine School.
Now the service manager at a wine-focused restaurant in Rittenhouse operated by High Street Hospitality Group, Binkovitz earned her sommelier pin and completed the school’s Advanced Program in under two years. In that time, she stood out not only for her talent, but for her presence.
“Some students are just pure gravity,” says Keith Wallace, founder of the Wine School. “When Anna’s in class, the room gets smarter, funnier, and sharper. She lifts people up without trying to. It’s who she is.”
Each year, the Wine School selects one advanced student who exemplifies both promise and impact. Finalists are typically already working in the wine trade and chosen for their potential to shape the future of the industry.
“She has the poet’s gift for language and the manager’s instinct to protect her people,” says Wallace. “She’s also the first person we’ve ever honored who described herself as entering ‘goblin mode’ during service. That might be a record.”
Binkovitz is currently planning a long-term project that includes opening a bottle shop and sparkling wine bar focused on making bubbles more approachable.
“I’d love to teach eventually,” she says. “I think wine should be joyful, not intimidating.”
About the Wine School of Philadelphia
Founded in 2001, the Wine School of Philadelphia offers nationally recognized programs in wine education and sommelier certification. It is the birthplace of the National Wine School and remains a cornerstone of the city’s food and beverage community. With a mission to make wine education fun, rigorous, and radically unpretentious, the school trains everyone from casual enthusiasts to future wine professionals.
