Winners at the Cheese From Spain Awards 2026

Champion Gold Award – Rey Silos Blanco, Asturias

The Champion Gold was awarded to Rey Silos Blanco, Ernesto Madera López, from Pravia, Asturias. This variety is one of Europe’s oldest, made since the 8th Century in the villages that are peppered throughout the valleys of central Asturias.

Rey Silos Blanco is handmade using raw, whole cow’s milk sourced from a specific Asturian dairy farm. Each cheese is salted by hand, rubbing the rind of one cheese against another, then naturally aged for up to 30 days in underground cellars. The end result is a dense, deliciously creamy texture with rich depth of flavor and notes of fermented butter and toasted hazelnut.

The Gold Prize Winners

Here is the list of cheeses awarded the Gold distinction, along with their respective cheese makers:

Young Cow Cheese, Raw/Pasteurized Milk

Prestes DOP Tetilla, Queixería Prestes. Vilalba, Lugo – Soft, buttery and mild Galician cheese with a creamy soft texture and slight tangy finish. The thin rind is straw-yellow while the interior paste is ivory-white.

Aged Goat Cheese, Raw Milk

Reserva Natural al Pimentón, Agammasur, S. Coop. Andaluza. Colmenar, Málaga – Intense, robust flavor with hints of smoke from the pimentón and a firm texture. Distinctive orange-brown exterior gives way to an ivory-yellow interior.

Aged Goat Cheese, Pasteurized Milk

Emborrizado Montes de Málaga, Agammasur, S. Coop. Andaluza, Colmenar, Málaga – Deep, intense, sharp flavor with a firm, crumbly texture and dark brown outer color.

Semi-Aged Blended (Cow, Goat & Sheep Cheese)

Los Cameros Mezcla Semi, Lácteos Martínez. Haro, La Rioja – Balanced flavor with a delicate aroma, pale ivory color, and a firm texture.

Semi-Aged Sheep Cheese, Raw Milk

Ntra. Sra. Fuentes Semi-Aged PDO Manchego Cheese, Quesos Artesanos Villarejo. Villarejo de Fuentes, Cuenca – Rich nutty flavor with a firm texture, light brown rind, and pale white interior.

1857 Valdivieso PDO Manchego, Explotaciones Agrícolas Valdegar. Alcázar de San Juan, Ciudad Real – Firm but creamy texture, intense yet balanced flavor, and beige rind with pale yellow interior.

Blue (Internal Mold)

Estrella La Peral, Quesos La Peral. Illas, Asturias – Intense, creamy, and rich flavor, with hints of spice as it matures. Dark rind with an ivory-yellow paste.

Savel, Airas Moniz. Chantada, Lugo – Creamy, elegant blue cheese made from Jersey cow’s milk, with a well-balanced and distinctive flavor and pale yellow color.

The winners of the Cheese from Spain Awards 2026 benefit from an extensive international promotional program, including targeted campaigns in the US, the UK, Ireland, Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland, with a focus on promoting the unique qualities of Spanish cheese.