We all know that cheese and wine have a lot in common. Many Manchego producers are also dedicated winemakers, and most wine aficionados are keen cheese lovers too. The two passions go often hand in hand!
It’s no surprise then to see that cheese tasting resembles wine tasting so much.
According to Pedro Condés, Communication’s Director at the Manchego Cheese PDO Council, a good cheese tasting should be conducted in three steps: “we normally commence by tasting the milk type, then look at the rind and texture, to finally appreciate the full flavor of the cheese”. If you think about wine, that would be identifying the varietal (milk), looking at the wine body (rind and texture), sniffing and savoring (flavors). Very similar, isn’t it?
So, let’s start by tasting the milk type. If with wine all begins with the varietal, in the case of dairy, there wouldn’t be any cheese without the milk.
Manchego is made with sheep’s milk. Furthermore, true Manchego cheese is made only from whole milk of the Manchega sheep raised in the La Mancha region. This is one of the reasons that make it so special.
The Manchega sheep’s milk is recognizable in the nutty, sweet and tangy notes of the cheese. As it’s impossible to buy Machega sheep’s milk in the US, Manchego cheese is your only chance to enjoy this particular taste.
So, do you have a piece of Manchego at hand? Take a bite, now close your eyes and savor it. Can you taste the Manchega sheep’s milk?
The Manchego Cheese 