FAQs

The tasting sessions will take place in Tordesillas (Valladolid, Spain) on 2, 3 and 4 June 2026. The tastings are not open to the public.

Cincho International Cheese Awards is organised by the ITACyL, an agency under the regional government of Castilla y León (Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development).

Cheeses from any country in the world may participate in the competition, provided they are identified with the cheesemaker’s commercial brand. Private label brands owned by retailers are expressly excluded.

Registration under a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) is not mandatory. However, if these quality schemes are used, the applicable regulations must be strictly respected.

Yes. The Regulations allow the participation of cheeses made from milk from species other than cow, sheep or goat.

During the registration process, participants must select “Other” in the section corresponding to the animal species and clearly indicate the origin of the milk used. In general, these cheeses may be entered in the following categories:

• Fresh Cheeses
• Soft Cheeses
• Blue Cheeses
• Processed Spreadable Cheeses

If, due to their technological characteristics or maturation process, the cheese does not fit into the categories above, it may exceptionally be entered in Category 3: Semi-Hard or Hard Cheeses, within the mixed milk groups (3.4.1.1 to 3.4.1.5). In such cases, this circumstance must be communicated in advance to the Technical Secretariat of the Competition in order to validate the correct classification.

No minimum production volume is required. However, cheeses submitted to the competition must correspond to products that are regularly marketed, not cheeses produced specifically for the competition.

Registration must be completed exclusively through the official website: www.premioscincho.com, from 6 April to 24 May 2026, or until the maximum limit of 1,500 samples is reached.

Any changes to the registration deadlines will be announced on the competition website and will prevail over the dates indicated in the Regulations.

There is no limit per company, but the overall limit is 1,500 samples, accepted strictly in order of registration.

Yes, provided they comply with the Regulations and were not produced specifically for this competition.

During the online registration process, participants may review and modify the information provided until the registration is finalised and validated.

Once the registration has been completed, any subsequent modification must be communicated to the Technical Secretariat of the Competition, which will evaluate and authorise the change in accordance with the Regulations.

Participation in the competition is completely free of charge.

Participants are only responsible for the shipping costs of the samples, including transport.

Producer company details, health registration number and cheese details (group, category, species, thermal treatment, maturation, etc.).

Once the registration has been completed, a copy of the Health Registration Certificate, or an equivalent document in accordance with the regulations in force in the country of origin, must be sent to cincho@premioscincho.com.

Samples must be registered in one of the following CATEGORIES established in the Competition Regulations: Fresh Cheeses; Soft Cheeses; Semi-Hard or Hard Cheeses; Blue Cheeses; and Processed Spreadable Cheeses.

In order to ensure a homogeneous and technically rigorous comparative evaluation, different GROUPS have been defined within each category, based on objective criteria such as the animal species from which the milk originates (cow, sheep, goat, other species or mixed milk), the thermal treatment applied (raw or pasteurised), the technology used (enzymatic, lactic, etc.), the presence of non-dairy ingredients, the degree of maturation, among others.

Each cheese must be registered in the group corresponding to its technical and production characteristics.

The detailed classification of the groups is set out in Annex A.1 of the Regulations, where the codes, species, treatments and abbreviated descriptions of each group are specified in a structured format.

Samples must be sent to the following address, from Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 16:00:

Att Cincho Awards
Estación Tecnológica de la Leche del ITACyL
Ctra. Autilla s/n – Finca Viñalta,
34071 Palencia
Spain

The official period for the reception of samples is from 4 May to 29 May 2026. Samples received after this date will automatically lose the right to participate in the competition.

Participants are advised to plan the shipment in advance, considering transport deadlines and conditions, especially for national or international shipments.

It is the sole responsibility of the participant to ensure that the samples arrive in optimal condition and within their shelf life so that they can be properly evaluated during the official tasting sessions. Otherwise, the samples may be excluded from the competition.

For this reason, cheeses with a shorter shelf life, such as fresh cheeses, are recommended to be sent during the final days of the submission period to preserve their sensory characteristics and ensure they remain within their expiry date during the tasting sessions.

One whole cheese must be sent in its commercial format with a weight of more than 2.5 kg, or enough units to reach a minimum of 3 kg. In the case of small-format processed cheeses, sending 8 units will be sufficient.

All samples must be accompanied by a copy of the document generated during registration and a commercial label of the product.

Failure to provide the required documentation or incorrect submission may result in the samples not being admitted to the evaluation process.

All samples submitted to the competition must comply with the sanitary regulations of the country of origin, import regulations and appropriate conditions for transport and preservation.

Damaged samples or samples received after the deadline will lose the right to participate in the competition.

They may be returned to their place of origin upon request within a maximum period of 48 hours after the end of the reception period. In this case, the return shipping costs will be fully borne by the participant.

Once the competition has ended, the samples will become the property of the Organisation and may be used for promotional purposes or technical studies without identifying the commercial brand.

Samples must be sent without visible commercial labelling or identification.

Each cheese will be identified by a unique numerical code that guarantees confidentiality and anonymity throughout the entire evaluation process.

The Jury will consist of a panel of 66 tasters from different countries, all linked to the dairy sector and sensory analysis (cheese specialists, master cheesemakers, researchers, cheesemongers, fromeliers, etc.).

The designation of the Jury members corresponds exclusively to the Technical Direction of the Competition.

All judges evaluate the same sensory attributes grouped under the following descriptors: Appearance, Texture and Flavour.

The final score for each sample is calculated as the average of the scores awarded by the judges, weighted 20% – 20% – 60% respectively.

This weighting system gives greater importance to the sensory characteristics perceived on the nose and palate (Flavour), as they constitute the determining factor in the overall organoleptic quality of the cheese.

The sensory evaluation is conducted in two stages:

Preliminary phase, in which all samples admitted to the competition are evaluated, grouped according to the Category and Group in which they were registered.

The evaluation is carried out by tasting tables composed of three judges, each of whom assigns an individual score out of a maximum of 100 points. The final score of each sample is obtained from the average of the scores given by the members of the table. In this phase, the Gold Cincho and Silver Cincho awards corresponding to each Group are determined, as well as certain Special Awards provided for in the Regulations.

Final phase, among the samples that have obtained the distinction of Gold Cincho, a new selection is made through a semi-final round followed by a final round, in which the judges jointly evaluate the finalist cheeses, determining the awarding of the Grand Gold Cincho 2026 (a maximum of three awards).

Throughout the entire process, samples are presented identified exclusively by numerical codes, without commercial labels or distinctive brands, ensuring anonymity and impartiality in the evaluation.

If the participant wishes, they may request the issuance of an individual report with the results of the sensory evaluation of their sample. This request must be made expressly when completing the registration for the competition.

The official results will be made public after their official proclamation and will be published on the competition website.

Yes. The awards will be presented during an official public event, the date, format and location of which will be determined by the Organisation of the Competition.

Award winners will be notified in advance to facilitate their attendance and participation in the institutional ceremony.

Yes. The list of winners will be published on the official competition website.

Two levels of awards are established: Gold Cincho and Silver Cincho per group, as well as Special Awards including: Grand Gold Cincho 2026, Best Organic Cheese, Best Sheep’s Milk Cheese in Spain and Best Artisan Cheese from Castilla y León.

Each sample within its category may obtain the distinction of Gold Cincho or Silver Cincho.

At the same time, it may compete for one of the following Special Awards according to the following order of priority:

1. Grand Gold Cincho.
2. Best Organic Cheese.
3. Best Sheep’s Milk Cheese in Spain.
4. Best Artisan Cheese from Castilla y León.

Yes. The official distinction will be communicated and certified by the Organisation.

Yes, in accordance with the conditions established by the Organisation and applicable regulations.

The Organisation may carry out promotional and communication actions to highlight the award-winning cheeses.