Roncal cheese

hard · sheep milk · Spain · $$$

A firm body, with a sharp, bold bite.

Attribute scores

meltability 4/10

sharpness 7/10

creaminess 2/10

firmness 8/10

pungency 5/10

Best cheese wine pairing

Pair Roncal cheese with a bold Spanish red like Tempranillo (Rioja) — a salty, sharp sheep's-milk cheese (sharpness 7) wants a structured red to match it.

Substitutes for Roncal cheese

Cheese	Why it works
Kefalotyri	a very close match across the board
Pecorino Sardo	similar overall, but less sharpness
Pag cheese	similar overall, but less sharpness
Manchego	similar overall, but less sharpness
Grana Padano	similar overall, but more sharpness
Idiazabal cheese	similar overall, but less sharpness