Iberian Ham Tastings at La Encina de Ortega

A guided tasting inside our shop in Toledo, sitting at the wine barrel, with everything hand-carved in front of you. Choose between the 100% acorn-fed Iberian ham board, the Iberian charcuterie board with D.O. Manchego cheese, the Wagyu cured beef board, or our selection of cured sausages (cecina, loin, salchichón and chorizo).

Every board comes with a wine chosen by José María Ortega served by the glass, bread and extra virgin olive oil. Tasting plates start at €19.90. While you eat we explain what you are tasting and why it tastes that way.

We are at Calle de la Plata, 22, right in the historic centre of Toledo (45001), about a 3-minute walk from Plaza de Zocodover and 5 minutes from the Cathedral. It is the street running down from Zocodover towards Plaza Mayor, so you will pass our door on any walk through the old town.

If you arrive by car, the easiest option is the Miradero or Safont car park and then the outdoor escalators up into the old town.

Booking is recommended, especially at weekends and on public holidays: the tasting takes place inside the shop and seats at the barrel are limited. Booking also lets us bring the ham to the right temperature and have the wine ready when you arrive.

A tasting takes roughly 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how many of you there are and how many questions you ask. You can book from the form on this page: it goes straight to José María's WhatsApp and we confirm right away.

This is the question everyone asks, and it is far better answered by tasting them. In short:

100% acorn-fed Iberian ham (black label): from pigs whose mother and father are both 100% Iberian, raised free-range in the dehesa woodland and fattened only on acorns and grass during the montanera season. Marbled, glossy fat that melts in the mouth; a long, nutty finish.

Acorn-fed Iberian ham, 50% Iberian breed (red label): same free-range acorn diet, but from a 50% cross. An excellent ham and outstanding value.

Cebo de campo Iberian ham (green label): the pig also lives outdoors, but is fed natural feed and pasture as well as what it forages. Milder and more affordable: perfect for everyday eating.

In the tasting we put the differences side by side on the plate so you can taste them yourself.

Yes. Everything we serve in a tasting is carved by knife on the spot, in thin bite-sized slices, and arranged on the plate so the fat comes up to temperature and releases its aroma. Machine-sliced and hand-carved ham do not taste the same, and that is half the experience.

If you buy a whole ham, we can also bone and slice it so you can take it home ready to eat.

We work with small wineries from Castilla-La Mancha and across Spain, many of them limited production, and we choose the pairing to match your board. Among the ones we usually pour are Dominio de Fontana (Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon), César Lucendo «Majuelos Bellos» (a single-plot wine from old organic vines), Alberto Calleja «Chacón», Corpus del Muni and Quinta de Quercus.

If you would rather have craft beer, vermouth or a white wine, tell us when you book and we will have it ready.

Yes. We host tastings for couples, families, groups of friends and corporate groups. For larger groups it helps to give us some notice so we can reserve the space and prepare the boards; message us on WhatsApp and we will organise it.

Children are welcome: we make them a plate of ham, cheese and bread without wine. We are happy to run the tasting in English, so just let us know when you book.

Of course. A tasting is also the best way to decide what to take home: whole hams and shoulders, hand-carved vacuum packs, cheeses, Iberian sausages, preserves, pâtés, olive oil, wines and local sweets.

We ship throughout Spain. For international shipping, ask us on WhatsApp and we will confirm times and costs for your destination.

Vacuum packs keep perfectly well for several months somewhere cool and dry, or in the least cold part of the fridge. What matters is the ritual before eating: take it out of the fridge half an hour beforehand and open the pack at the last moment, so the fat warms up and recovers its shine and aroma.

If you take a whole ham, keep it hanging somewhere cool, dry and airy, cover the cut surface with its own fat or with cling film, and scrape the surface before carving again. We give you the specific instructions when you buy it.

Yes, it is one of our specialities. We put together Christmas hampers and bespoke gourmet lots for companies and for personal gifts, built around whatever budget you tell us and whatever products you choose: Iberian charcuterie, cheeses, fine preserves, wines, liqueurs and traditional sweets from Toledo.

We can brand the hamper with your company logo and handle delivery to several addresses. Tell us what you need and we will put a proposal together.