Canary Islands Shine at Cincho Cheese Awards 2026
The Canary Islands achieved an impressive haul at the sixth international edition of the Cincho Cheese Awards, securing four Gold awards and one Silver from a total of 1,300 samples submitted by 18 countries.
Outstanding Achievements
Five Canarian cheeses were honoured at the prestigious Cincho Cheese Awards 2026. This event, one of Spain’s foremost cheese competitions, saw submissions from around the world, with the jury awarding a total of 117 prizes.
The cheeses from the Islands earned four Gold Cinchos and one Silver Cincho in their respective categories. Specifically, the Gold awards went to:
- Arquegran Agüimes Semicurado by Arquegran Agüimes, Gran Canaria, for its cow’s milk with enzymatic coagulation.
- Era del Cardón Curado by Luis Martel Perdomo, Gran Canaria, for its raw goat’s milk.
- Granja Las Cuevas Oveja Viejo Pimentón and Granja Las Cuevas Mezcla Viejo Pimentón, both by Félix Alberto Gil Rodríguez from La Palma, for old sheep and mixed old milk categories, respectively.
The Canary Islands’ medal tally was rounded off with a Silver Cincho awarded to Maxorata Curado con Pimentón, produced by Grupo Ganaderos de Fuerteventura, in the category of pasteurised goat’s milk.
Recognising Local Excellence
Narvay Quintero, the Canarian Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty, stated that “these awards recognise the effort, professionalism and knowledge of our producers who maintain a cheese tradition closely tied to the territory, the livestock breeds of the Islands, and artisanal production methods based on authenticity and excellence.”
Major Awards and Highlights
In this edition, the three Grand Gold Cinchos, the highest recognition of the competition, were awarded to:
- Colette Nature by SAS Fromages Bach, France
- Granoro Cabra by Rueda Cheesemonger, Valladolid
- Rogue River Bleu by Rogue Creamery, USA
Additionally, awards for Excellence were presented to:
- Queso Mucientes Curado from Quesería Artesana de Mucientes, Valladolid, which received the title of Best Artisan Cheese of Castilla and León.
- Vasco Navarra from Quesos La Vasco Navarra, Navarra, named Best Sheep Cheese in Spain.
The award for Best Organic Cheese was jointly awarded to Montes de Alcalá from Quesería El Gazul, Cádiz, and Old Wanczyk from the Polish cheesemaker Wanczykowka.
Participation and Outcomes
This twelfth national edition and sixth international event featured a tasting panel composed of 69 experts from various countries and different regions of Spain, including canary Ruth Lozano. The jury distributed a total of 117 awards, comprising 67 Gold Cinchos and 50 Silver Cinchos. Of these honours, 73.5% went to national productions, with the remaining awards going to international entries. France and Italy each secured seven awards, while Poland received six.
Sheep’s milk cheeses played a significant role in the national awards, with 37 out of 86 awards for Spanish cheeses (43% of the total) going to this category.
About the Cincho Cheese Awards
The competition was organised by the Agrarian Technological Institute of Castilla and León (ITACyL), with the final phase taking place in Valladolid from June 2 to 4. The Cincho Awards were initiated by the Junta of Castilla and León in 2000 to create a national competition aimed at recognising the excellence of Spanish cheese production. Over 25 years, the competition has undergone several modernisation processes, including updating the evaluation system and expanding its international reach. Biennial in nature, the event has consistently grown and has become a symbol of prestige, recognised for its commitment to quality and the global promotion of cheese.
