The Cheese Course: A herd of ewe-phoric Spanish cheeses

As I go about my daily ritual of caring for my cheeses, I often repeat a simple mantra: "Sheep's milk makes the best cheese, sheep's milk makes the best cheese …"

If you doubt this, just have a taste for yourself. From the ever-famous French Roquefort to the little-known Portuguese Azeitao, sheep's milk cheeses represent something a little exotic and out of the ordinary, and the best I know come from Spain.

Sheep naturally produce a smaller quantity of richer, more concentrated milk over a shorter time period than cows, and since cheesemaking is all about concentrating the flavors in...