Spain was the country to take home the second-highest number of distinctions, after France
Spanish cheeses recently came out on top at the Concours International de Lyon cheese competition. Spain was the country with the second-highest number of distinctions, after France, with its products bringing home a total of 63 awards: 38 gold and 25 silver medals.
A wide variety of Spanish cheeses received accolades, including mixed milk, goat’s milk, ewe’s milk, and cow’s milk cheeses. Cheeses from across Spain were recognized for their outstanding quality, from Torta del Casar PDO, Queso Manchego PDO, Mahón-Menorca PDO, Idiazábal PDO, San Simón da Costa PDO, and Cabrales PDO.
Spain is one of the world’s leading cheesemakers, and is home to 200 different types of cheese, of which more than 20 have their own designation of origin. Spain’s extensive cheese offer is attributable to its diverse geography and climate, and large-scale producers offer excellent product, as do small dairies that produce artisan cheeses.
Lyon is considered the capital of French gastronomy and hosts international wine, beer, and spirit competitions. In 2023 alone, more than 10,000 samples from 48 countries were tasted.
Here is the complete list of awarded Spanish cheeses:
GOLD
Semi-cured Mixed Goat Milk Cheese Subaida Mahón-Menorca DOP (Quesos Subaida S.L.) | Cured Ewe's Milk Cheese with Beer Pago Valle de los Molinos (Agroalimentaria Valle de Los Molinos) |
Cow's Milk Cheese Ganderia Quintián- Mourelo (Quintián S.C.) | Cured Goat's Milk Cheese Vega San Martín (Sat Vega de San Martin) |
Goat's Milk Cured Cheese (Guarnecidos Alburquerque SLU) | Semicured Goat's Milk Cheese with Pimentón de la Vera (Guarnecidos Alburquerque SLU) |
Artisan Ewe's Milk Cured in Honey and Oregan Cheese Villarejo 6 meses (Quesos Artesanos Villarejo S.L.) | Eco Payoya Goat's Milk Cured in Manteca Ibérica Cheese (Quesería El Gazul S.L.) |
Semi-cured Goat's Milk Cheese with Pimentón Valdecabras (Productos Artesanos Valdecabras S.L.) | Ewe's Milk Cheese Cerro del Ángel Manteca Floral (Sat Oveman / Queseria Villadharo) |
Cow's Milk Cheese La Burrita (Quesos La Cabezuela) | Ewe's Milk Cheese Moraleda (Quesos Moraleda S.L.) |
Ewe's Milk Cured Cheese Montescusa Manchego DOP (Quesos Lominchar S.L.) | Semi-cured Ewe's Milk Cheese Cerro del Ángel - Flor de Cardo (Sat Oveman / Quesería Villadharo) |
Artisan Old Ewe's Milk Cheese Pago Valle de los Molinos (Agroalimentaria Valle de Los Molinos) | Goat's Mlik cheese pearls stuffed with bitter orange Oh my Cheese (Lácteas Cobreros S.A.) |
Ewe's Milk Cream Cheese with Honey (Mariana Menchero Castro (Queso Saleta) | Artisan Cured Ewe's Milk Cheese Arcano Manchego DOP (Castelus España S.L.) |
Cheese Cream with Truffle (Quesos Moraleda S.L.) | Ewe's Milk Cheese Otzara (Goine Berria S.L.) |
Semicured Goat's Milk Cheese (Productos Alimentaros Quesí) | Blended Milk Old Intense Ibérico Cheese (Valle de San Juan Palencia S.L.) |
ECO Cooked Cheese (Rueda Cheesemonger S.L.) | Artisan Semi-cured Ewe's Milk Cheese Arcano Manchego DOP (Castelus España S.L.) |
Latxa Ewe's Milk Cheese Bengotxea Idiazabal DOP (Bengotxea Lastiri SC) | Artisan Old Ewe's Milk Cheese Adiano Manchego DOP (Castelus España S.L.) |
Semi-cured Ewe's Mik Cheese Ariscado Manchego DOP (Quesos Lominchar S.L.) | Semi-cured Ewe's Mik Cheese Ojos del Guadiana Manchego DOP (Manchega Ojos Del Guadiana) |
ECO Payoya Goat's Milk Cheese in Manteca Ibérica and Rosemary Montes de Alcalá (Quesería El Gazul) | Ewe's Mik Cheese Ojos del Guadiana Manchego DOP (Manchega Ojos Del Guadiana) |
Semi-cured Ewe's Milk Cheese Marqués de Mendiola (Gestión Ganadera y Genética Ganatec S.L.) | Old Blue Ewe's Milk Cheese (Rueda Cheesemonger S.L.) |
Ewe's Milk Cheese Gran Reserva Francisco (Francisco Morán e Hijos S.L.) | Cured Ewe's Milk Cheese Adiano Manchego DOP (Castelus España S.L.) |
Ewe's Mik Semi-cured Cheese Ojos del Guadiana Manchego DOP (Manchega Ojos Del Guadiana) | Ewe's Milk Cheese La Flor de Jara (Francisco Morán e Hijos S.L.) |
Blended Milk Old Intense Ibérico Cheese with Truffle (Valle de San Juan Palencia S.L.) | Ewe's Milk Cheese Flor de la Dehesa Torta del Casar DOP (Queseria Los Casareños S.L.) |
SILVER
Goat's Milk Cheese Granoro (Rueda Cheesemonger S.L.) | Ewe's Milk Cured with Rosemary Cheese Marqués de Mendiola (Gestión Ganadera y Genética Ganatec S.L.) |
Cured Goat's Milk Cheese Doña Casilda Curado - El Acebuchal - Sierra de las Cabras (Ruizwinters, S.L.) | Creamy Cheese with Black Garlic Francisco (Francisco Morán e Hijos S.L.) |
Goat's Milk Fresh Cheese Bombón (Sat Vega de San Martín) | Ewe's Milk Blue Cheese (Valle de San Juan Palencia S.L.) |
Mixed Milk Cured Ibérico Cheese La Celestina (Quesos Corcuera, S.L.) | Ewe's Milk Cheese Villadharo Manchego Curado DOP (Sat Oveman / Quesería Villadharo) |
Cured Ewe's Milk Cheese with Black Garlic Cerro del Ángel (Sat Oveman / Quesería Villadharo) | Ewe's Milk Cheese Moraleda Reserva (Quesos Moraleda S.L.) |
Cured Ewe's Milk Cheese Origen (El Prado de Llera, S.L.) | Mixed Ewe and Goat's Milk Cured in Manteca Ibérica El Gazul Manteca Ibérica (Quesería el Gazul S.L.) |
Goat's Cheese with Flowers Omc (Lácteas Cobreros S.A.) | Cured Ewe's Milk Cheese with Rosemary Cerro del Ángel (Sat Oveman / Quesería Villadharo) |
Goine Gaztak Idiazabal DOP (Goine Berria S.L.) | Goat's Milk Cheese With Blueberries (Lácteas Cobreros S.A.) |
Cow's Milk Cheese Queixo Crisanto San Simon da Costa DOP (Queixeria Don Crisanto - Magus Cheese) | Cured Ewe's Milk Cheese Medialuna Manchego DOP (Agropecuaria Dehesa Ardales) |
Cured Ewe's Milk Villajos Manchego Artesano DOP (Agrovillaserra S.L.) | Cured Ewe's Milk Ojos del Guadiana Black Label Manchego DOP (Manchega Ojos Del Guadiana) |
Cow's Milk Blue Cheese Vega de Tordín Joven Cabrales DOP (Quesería Vega de Tordín) | Semi-cured Payoya Goat's Milk Cheese (Queso Payoyo, S.L.) |
Cured Ewe's Milk Cheese (Quesos la Mueda) | Goat's Milk Tender Cheese Tesoro Blanco (Tesoro Blanco Quesos Artesanales) |
Goat's Cheese Fuero (Quesos y Besos) |