A one year aged cheese like this is called "curado" in Spanish. Means that the cheese has got an intense personality, with a particular aftertaste that makes it different from other cheeses. Manchego is a DO, name-controlled cheese famous all over the world. In Spain is clearly omnipresent: you can find it in bars, supermarkets, houses...

Everybody loves Manchego everywhere. Try this one year old and you'll find out why. The secret is in the milk. Manchega sheeps live in the special climatic conditions of La Mancha, a vaste plateau in the middle of Spain, with a high altitude above sea level.

There winters are cold and summers hot. The best cheese is produced when the milk is the richest, between August and December. La Mancha is divided in several provinces: Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca and Toledo. Observe that the marks on the rind honors a time when the cheese was wrapped in sheets of woven esparto grass.

Shepherds are important part of the history of this region since always. This complex, full flavored Manchego, is enhanced by national wines like crianzas from Rioja, Cabernet from Pened s and Somontano and red wines from Madrid. Remember to keep it in refrigerator for longer conservation. Wrap it in plastic film or use a cloth soaked in olive oil to cover it, as the traditional way.