Adiano cheese is truly exceptional Manchego, family-made with care in the heart of La Mancha. This mild semicurado version is rich and creamy with a touch of sharpness and a warm nutty flavor that hints of the herbs and grasses where the sheep roam. It is best enjoyed sliced thinly and served at room temperature with a glass of full-bodied red wine.
The ingredient list is refreshingly short: milk, rennet and salt. By using less salt than most cheesemakers, the flavor of the rich sheep’s milk and the herbs of the pasture take center stage. The young semicurado version is aged 3 to 5 months.
Adiano Manchego wheels age in cool, humid cellars and are turned by hand for even aging. The milk used is exceptionally rich, which allows the cheese to develop deep flavor while remaining creamy and smooth. The result is a cheese with a balanced, elegantly nutty flavor. This is truly one of the best Manchegos in the world.
“Adiano” is a Castilian term meaning “excellent.” And the world agrees! This special Manchego cheese has earned thirty awards in the last few years, including a history-making three “Super Gold” medals at the World Cheese Awards.
Adiano Manchego was inspired by owner Ricardo García’s childhood in a remote village in the mountains of La Mancha in the 1950s. His family lived by shepherding, and their meals came from what they made themselves: bread, chorizos and fresh cheeses.
As an adult Ricardo opened the restaurant El Tebas in Murcia, which become known for its top-quality ingredients. Still, he could never find a Manchego cheese that matched the one he remembered from home.
In 2015, he returned to La Mancha, buying a farm called El Campillo near Cabañeros National Park. After rebuilding a herd of rustic Manchega sheep, he began making traditional Manchego cheese. In 2021, he convinced his son, José Ángel, to join him. Together they built a creamery on the farm and Adiano Manchego was born!
Adiano is the first artisan DO Manchego cheese in Spain to obtain the Welfair™ Animal Welfare certification. This is possible because their cheese is made fresh at their own El Campillo estate, home to their 3,500 sheep. They earned Welfair™ Animal Welfare certification by ensuring that humane treatment of their sheep is an essential part of how they care for their animals.
