Two years ago, Food and Wine magazine talked of the revolution in Spanish artesian cheeses. After being outlawed for decades under Franco’s dictatorship, Spain has only recently been rediscovering and bringing back their artesian cheeses. Spain celebrates its regional cuisine, and if you ever comment on your plans to visit the Basque country, Leon, Galicia, Cordoba, etc., the Madrileño’s favorite advice is “Allí se come muy bien!” You eat well there, or as we would say, “The food there is great!” Food is almost more important in a Spaniard’s mind than the historic monuments they love, but are accustomed to. However, they would rarely, if ever, let sightseeing get in the way of a proper three-course lunch of the region’s specialties.

Today’s featured corner of Madrid is a wonderful artisan cheese shop that you can think of as Spain’s hidden corners and regional flavors brought directly to you. Our destination takes us to the northern reaches of 17^th and 18^th century Madrid to number 27 Calle Argansola. Here we find Poncelet, an excellent, award-winning shop specializing in artesian cheeses, as well as a selection of gourmet parings such as Spanish vinegar, wine and bread. Cheese, however, is their passion. Poncelet carries cheeses from nine different European countries, including: Italy, France, Belgium, Holland, the UK, Ireland, and of course, Spain. This small shop is a treasure trove of at least 70 different Spanish cheeses, representing each of the 24 Denominación de Origenes in Spain, as well as fabulous cheeses from areas which do not yet have a D.O.

Poncelet is proud to offer Spanish cheeses that otherwise may be hard to find, even in Madrid. They have a special Roncal, which according to the attendant, is a difficult cheese for them to get because of transport issues. They also have many “black label” cheeses, which are limited production cheeses of very high quality.

One of my personal favorites is the smoked variety of Idiazabal cheese which has a D.O. all of its own and is made in the Basque country in northern Spain. But today, I decided to strike out, fight the temptation, and try something new for me. I chose to root for the underdog, and with some help from the expert staff at Poncelet, I selected a cheese without the official D.O. mark of authenticity. I wanted to prove to Tienda.com that in fact, the D.O. is not the only indication that a cheese is the “real thing.”

I bought a small wedge of Queso Grazalema, named after the mountain range where it’s made in the village of Villaluenga del Rosario, slightly north of Cadiz in Andalucia. Made from pasteurized sheep’s milk, the cheese is aged 5 to 6 months and costs about 31 Euros a kilo. I loved this Grazalema cheese. As a result of being cured, it’s a hard cheese, yet retains an amazing creamy quality to it. Like a manchego, it’s a bit grainy with nutty flavors, yet slightly creamier. With the Iberian pig’s lard rubbed into the rind, I doubt this is a cheese readily imported to the US. Queso Grazalema has a strong pronounced flavor, nice acidity and light saltiness. My suggestion is to try this with a dry “fino” sherry from Jerez, which is produced nearby, and some country-style crusty bread. Another perfect pairing is to is to pour yourself a nice young red wine from La Mancha.

Visit my Tapastalk.com map for the location of Poncelet and more of my favorite corners of Madrid!

Poncelet / Calle Argensola, 27 / Madrid / Metro: Colon or Alonso Martinez/ Tel: 913081221

Other Spanish cheese resources:
Tienda.com- Some nice cheeses imported from Spain and sold in the US. I have used this site and they have great service, great products, and they love Spain.

Murrays Cheese - Cheese shop which delivers, based in NYC.

Quesos.com- Online store based in Spain, with background information on the cheeses.
Cheese from Spain - Good background information about Spanish cheeses.

Tienda.com’s Cheese Selection

Ryan’s Note: Poncelet is also worth noting because of their breads. Surprisingly much of Madrid has a pour selection of artesanal breads, and Poncelet knowing this contracted a award winning bread baker to make their breads. SERIOUSLY, this bread is incredible and not to be missed!