This post will be a bit of additional information and new found older pictures on the sights of Huete as plenty written on it in my blog, The manchego cheese and the wines around Huete are very good indeed. This is in my memorable region of Castilla la Mancha of my dear kingdom of Spain. Hope you enjoy the post as I.
I did paid a visit to this winery without luck, The first time just in my road warrior ways stop by without reservation and it was closed, Came back in another year and call ahead telling me it was open, However, when I got there , was told not able to let me in because they were doing inventory on the property ,and of course, no time to come back then, Luck was not with me , however, did tasted their wines in the local Licoreria in Cuenca (see post) and were great we purchase them for our daily intake while there and took some bottles home, It has a pleasant anecdote anyway and now looking forward to finally see the winery, eventually. The Pago Calzadilla wine on the road towards Cuenca CM2019, just out of Huete near the town of Caracenilla.
The Opta ,Allegro , and Gran Calzadilla are wonderful wines indeed that should be known more, and very good price/quality ratio, The winery uses a combination of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha tinta and Syrah grapes, The Pago Calzadilla owes its name to the existence of an ancient Roman road that started from the city of OPTA , current Huete to the Mediterranean ports for the transport of the mineral Lapis specularis. In 1980, the couple formed by Francisco Uribes and Celia Madero began planting a small vineyard in such an unusual place as the Alcarria Conquense, where there was no wine reference in the entire region. In the winery they follow the same philosophy, without use selected yeasts, do not pump or filter. The facilities and equipment are designed by them following their oenological conception. The final expression comes after a long period of aging in their bottle racks. The Pago de Calzadilla currently comprises 26 hectares, 23 of which are dedicated to vineyards. The annual production is between 70,000 and 80,000 bottles of different wines, all of them long-aging reds.
The official Pago Calzadilla winery with a beautiful picture where we parked in front :https://www.pagocalzadilla.com/
The wine trade magazine Verema (i follow) has a description on their wines in Spanish : https://www.verema.com/bodegas/34481-uribes-madero-pago-calzadilla-huete/vinos
The Manchego cheese is one of the most famous in Spain and in all of Europe. These cheeses are known worldwide and historically have won numerous gastronomic awards for their quality and inimitable flavor. We love them in my house and lucky to find them where we are even if the best are from Huete !
The Manchego cheese is made from the milk of La Mancha sheep and has a minimum cure of 30 days and a maximum maturity of 2 years. These cheeses, if you have not yet tried them, are usually characterized by having a hard crust and free of plastics, a firm and compact paste and with a color that varies from white to ivory yellow. The Manchego cheeses have a very pleasant, slightly acidic, tasty and strong flavor that evolves to spicy in the most mature cheeses. Its characteristic and intense smell varies according to the cure, as does its flavor. However, it should be noted that they do not only stand out for their flavor. They also have important benefits for our health.
The Lacto Ganadera OPTA produces very good manchego cheese from the sheep young goat, These are the Manchego cheeses of world fame .They make them all, and sell them at the store in the factory. We load up each time !!
They have an outdated Facebook page on OPTA :https://www.facebook.com/quesomanchegohuete/
The other cheese factory SAT Rio Mayor where we had the El Ermita brand first from the supermarket before and we went to the factory on site, very good black label=etiqueta negra. webpage :https://quesoslaermitadecaracenilla.com/
These are the best on site or from whatever source you can get them , recommended ! See other post on them !
The Huete tourist office on its heritage: https://www.turismohuete.com/que-ver/
The Autonomous Community of Castilla La Mancha tourist board on Huete (download travel guide in pdf) : http://en.www.turismocastillalamancha.es/patrimonio/huete-39731/descripcion/
There you go folks, this is off the beaten path territory but the real Spain, you would love it as I Do stop by Huete and the surrounding wineries and cheese factories , simply the best and all worth the detour, Again, hope you enjoy the post on the cheese and wine of Huete as I,
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 