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Wine / Spirits Education in San Sebastian
A Basque coastal city with more Michelin stars per capita than anywhere on earth. The Parte Vieja's pintxos circuit is one of the world's great standing-room food experiences. Home to the Basque Culinary Center, one of Europe's leading culinary schools.
Why here
San Sebastian has its own local wine to study: txakoli, a young and fruity white of 9.5 to 11.5 percent alcohol grown on more than 433 hectares in the coastal towns of Gipuzkoa, with Aia, Zarautz, Getaria and Hondarribia the named producing towns and documents showing it sold in Gipuzkoa since the beginning of the 16th century. The grapes are harvested in late September or early October when the bunches reach optimum balance between sugars and acidity. The Basque Culinary Center, established in Donostia San Sebastian in 2011, runs WSET Levels 1 to 3 in wines with published autumn 2026 course dates, and the local tourism office calls txakoli an excellent companion to fish and seafood.
Best months
Txakoli grapes come in during late September and early October. Basque Culinary Center's published 2026 dates run 19 October for Level 3, 25 October for Level 2 and 2 November for Level 1.
Getting there & around
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (1)
Basque Culinary Center
SchoolThe Basque Culinary Center is the leading gastronomic research and education institution in Spain, founded in 2009 by Mondragon University alongside a group of senior Basque chefs. Located in the Miramon Technology Park in San Sebastian, it offers intensive workshops and courses open to food enthusiasts alongside its professional programs including a four-year university Gastronomic Sciences degree. The BCC is the academic home of the Basque culinary culture that has produced more Michelin stars per resident in San Sebastian than almost any city in the world.
Also good for wine / spirits education in September:
Torn between San Sebastian and Beaune for September?
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