Savel from Airas Moniz Wins Cheese from Spain Award Promoted by ICEX

Savel, produced by the Galician cheesemaker Airas Moniz, has won the second edition of the Cheese from Spain Awards, promoted by ICEX, as part of the 2025 Gourmet Spanish Cheese Championship, now in its 15th year, held at Salón Gourmets.

Savel is a blue cheese made from raw cow’s milk. It stands out for its unmistakable and intense aroma, but surprises with its smoothness, elegance, and creamy texture. It is aged in a cave where Penicillium roqueforti develops naturally. The veins that range between blue and greenish-grey, combined with the yellow tone of the cheese paste—sourced from pasture-raised Jersey cows—make this cheese truly unique.

The panel of judges included international cheese experts from around the world:

• France: Michaël Belissa, founder of the Salon du Fromage
• Germany: Burkhard Endemann, cheese specialist at Käse-Theke Magazine
• Switzerland: Rolf Beeler, Switzerland’s most renowned cheese affineur and one of the most influential figures in the cheese world across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
• The Netherlands: Jurre Hans Lodewijk Beijneveld, Senior Account Manager at cheese importer/distributor De Kaasfabriek
• United Kingdom: Nicholas Gibbs Bayne, Head Cheesemonger at The Fine Cheese Co.
• United States: Michele Buster, co-founder of Forever Cheese Inc.

They judged all six finalist cheeses based on rind, color, texture, aroma, flavor, aftertaste, and persistence, from a total of 130 entries.

Along with Savel, which received the Champion Gold Award, the following cheeses also earned gold distinctions:

• Los Cameros Mezcla Semicurado, from Lácteos Martínez.
• Maxorata Curado con Pimentón (Majorero PDO), from Grupo Ganaderos de Fuerteventura.
• El Roano Oro – Queso Curado, from Pedro Giner Ruiz (Roano).
• Villarejo Añejo Madurado en Miel y Orégano, from Quesos Artesanos Villarejo.
• La Retorta, from Finca Pascualete.

In addition to this recognition, all winners received a silver medal in the Gourmet Quesos competition at Salón Gourmets—except La Retorta, which took home a gold medal.

An Opportunity to Enter International Markets

The Cheese from Spain Awards, part of the Championship of the Best Cheeses of Spain at Salón Gourmets, is an initiative led by ICEX with a clear goal: to put high-quality Spanish cheeses on the global map.

The contest aims to identify and highlight cheeses with strong export potential, giving their producers a unique opportunity to enter international markets and take part in communication and promotional actions designed to open global doors and showcase the excellence of Spanish cheese abroad.

The winners benefit from a comprehensive international promotional and communication program, including targeted activities in countries like Ireland, Poland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, all focused on promoting Spanish cheese.