Latest news with #U.S.ChampionshipCheeseContest
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Good gouda wins second consecutive U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in Ashwaubenon
ASHWABUENON – The U.S. championship cheese wasn't named Deja vu, but it could have been. For the second consecutive contest, an aged gouda called Arethusa Europa from Arethusa Farm Dairy in Bantam, Connecticut, received the top score of 2,414 entries in the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest. By a very small margin, it must be said. Arethusa Europa bested St. Malachi Reserve by The Farm at Doe Run in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, by one-hundredth of a point, 98.89 to 98.88. Every entry starts with a score of 100 and judges deduct points from multiple attributes. "We didn't expect to win again," said cheesemaker and plant manager Chris Casiello of Arethusa Farm Dairy on a video conference call after the winner was announced Thursday at Resch Expo. "It's been a great seller for us." Third place this year went to Lake Country Dairy-Schuman Cheese in Turtle Lake. The company took first, second and third place in the Parmesan class, in addition to two other best-of-class finishes. "Our whole idea is to make cheese the Italian way," said Aileen Kacvinsky, technical services director for Lake Country Dairy-Schuman Cheese. Schuman Cheese, which was founded in the early 1900s, acquired Lake Country Dairy about 16 years ago. The company's top Parmesan cheese is organic, Kacvinsky said. Milk comes from select organic dairies within 100 miles of the Turtle Lake factory. More: If it's the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, it must be a big day for cheddar More: U.S. cheese champion: Best cheese is from Connecticut, but the cheese maker is from Wisconsin "The razor-thin margins that separated our contest finalists speak to the caliber of U.S. cheesemakers' talent," said John Umhoefer, executive director of contest host Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. Wisconsin, which fancies itself the cheese capital of the United States (if not the world), made its case with 55 best-of-class finishes among 117 total classes. Vermont was second with 13 first-place medals. Northeastern Wisconsin winners include BelGioioso Cheese of Denmark for its mozzarella marinated in fresh basil and garlic, which was one of the contest's 20 overall finalists. Also winning best of class was Saputo Cheese USA of Black Creek with its Montchevre goat milk cheddar. All results can be seen at The 2025 contest included 2,414 entries from 31 states. Categories included cheese, butter, cultured products and dry dairy ingredients. This was the second time the contest was held at Resch Expo, having previously been held in the Lambeau Field Atrium. The U.S. Championship Cheese Contest is held every other year in Green Bay. The World Championship Cheese Contest is held alternate years in Madison. Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@ Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: It's gouda to win second consecutive U.S. Championship Cheese Contest
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wheels to Wisconsin: US Championship Cheese Contest underway
(NewsNation) — Rise and rind: The 2025 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest is officially underway in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Drawing more than 2,000 entries from 31 states, the biennial contest challenges cheesemakers to a battle of innovation, quality and taste. Cheese lovers at the event told NewsNation Midwest correspondent Nick Smith the variety of entries is nothing to sniff at. 'You can't go to the grocery store and find this,' said attendee Mary Anne Froelich. How your daily cup of tea is reducing lead intake Expert judges from across the country are slicing and poking a variety of cheese, all while holding the products to the highest standards. 'You can't take one element and remove it from the equation,' said judge Eric Meredith. 'Looking at rind development, smell, taste, flavor, aroma, texture — it's all-encompassing.' Every entry begins with 100 points, and points are lost each time a judge notes defects in flavor, texture, color, packaging and more. Each competition class chooses a gold, silver and bronze medalist. Category winners will be announced on Thursday afternoon after two and a half days of thorough inspection. 'Texas Strip': Texas Lt. Gov. wants to change name of famous steak cut Despite the pressure on the judges to crown a big cheese, it doesn't grate on them — instead, they made some time to share their un-brie-lievably cheesy senses of humor with NewsNation. 'I have a slight addiction to cheddar, but it's only mild,' said judge Laura Liehn. 'That's a good one, right?' For fellow judge Eric Vorpahl, 'It's all gouda. So many jokes I camembert it.' The competition, hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, has evaluated America's best cheeses, butter and yogurts since 1981. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
If it's the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, it must be a big day for cheddar
ASHWAUBENON – The U.S. Championship Cheese Contest had every kind of cheese: mild cheddar, sharp cheddar, aged cheddar, young cheddar and cheddar blue. Well, this is Wisconsin. The championship, which kicked off Tuesday at the Resch Center, included 2,414 entries in 177 classes from 31 states and Puerto Rico. New this year were classes for sour cream and cultured dairy dips. Winners were decided by 38 judges from 15 states. But the top five classes, by number of entries, were mild cheddar, sharp cheddar, shredded cheeses, aged cheddar and medium cheddar. There were 285 cheddar entries, nearly 12% of all entries, in eight classes. That said, the most popular cheese in the United States is mozzarella — because of pizza. Cheddar is a close second, said Sarah Guttmann of Plymouth, of Masters Food Gallery Inc., who conducted judging demonstrations at the contest. Lucy Jeter of Clemson University became the contest's first student judge after winning — wait for it — the cheddar judging competition at the 100th Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest in Milwaukee last year. She was first in cheddar judging and third overall, among more than 40 student competitors. That contest included, along with cheeses, foods such as milk, cottage cheese, ice cream, butter and strawberry yogurt, but "cheddar is the most specific and most harshly criticized," Jeter said. She spent about five hours a week for a semester preparing for the competition. "There are a lot of nuances with cheddar, depending on age, especially when you compare them side by side," she said. Jeter, a graduate student who wants to work in dairy research and development, is shadowing professional judges on Tuesday and Wednesday. She hopes to some day be one of them. "I would hope so. It's a lot of fun," she said. The cheese championship is known for its openness and transparency. Judges are arrayed in a u-shaped line of tables. Signs identify the judges, their affiliation and the type of product being judged. The less-harried among them will answer questions while doing their work, and that includes most of them. Last year, at the world championships in Madison, also hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, demonstration sessions, conducted by experienced dairy professionals, explained the judging process, using different types of cheeses as examples. Samples were handed out for each. As might be imagined, the sessions were popular. More: Swiss cheesemaker wins third consecutive World Championship Cheese Contest; Wisconsin wins 39 classes More: As Lent nears, readers say these 4 restaurants have the best fish fry dinners in Green Bay area The association carried the demonstrations over for this year's U.S. championship, and the morning's first session was attended by about 40 cheese lovers, who all sat through the more than hourlong presentation, which greatly relieved the number of questions working judges had to respond to. Liz Tienor of Manitowoc said it's tempting to think of cheese as just being solid milk, but the demonstration painted a different picture. "It's just the little blips of information you get ... it's made in caves and it has holes you put oxygen in" that makes it clear what an exacting process cheese making is, she said. For a judge who's inspecting 54 entries of mild cheddar in a day, the lack of interruption is appreciated, said Grace Atherton, cheese makers communications director. The contest is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Resch Expo. Championship judging on Thursday is closed to the public, but the announcement of the new champion and the runners up will be livestreamed at 2 p.m. that day at In addition to samples at the demonstration, the event includes four tables of cheeses to sample — more than just cheddar, although there's plenty of that, including one on Tuesday made with Spotted Cow beer that tasted like, well, Spotted Cow beer. Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@ Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Cheddar dominates contest, but more than 2,000 other entries compete
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Here's a chance to sample award-winning cheese as U.S. championship returns to Resch Expo
ASHWAUBENON – Before the NFL draft comes to Green Bay, the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest will make an appearance. The every-other-year contest, held March 4-5 at the Resch Expo, will have 2,414 entries in 117 classes from 31 states. Categories include cheese, butter, cultured products and dry dairy ingredients. Preliminary judging, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, will be free and open to the public. Even better than the judging are samples of competing and champion cheeses. It's a chance to taste the best of familiar cheeses or try something unique. Championship judging on March 6 is closed to the public, but announcement of winners will be livestreamed at 2 p.m. at The event is hosted by by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, which has its headquarters in Madison. At least 38 dairy experts, many of them cheese championship veterans, will evaluate entries on attributes such as flavor, body, texture, salt, color, finish, packaging, and more. More: U.S. cheese champion: Best cheese is from Connecticut, but the cheese maker is from Wisconsin More: Swiss cheesemaker wins third consecutive World Championship Cheese Contest; Wisconsin wins 39 classes Twenty-two northeastern Wisconsin producers submitted entries to the contest. An aged Gouda, called Europa, made by Arethusa Farm Dairy in Bantam, Connecticut, was the 2023 United States Champion Cheese. At the World Championship Cheese Contest in 2024, a Hornbacker cheese made by Michael Spycher of Mountain Dairy Fritzenhaus in Bern, Switzerland, was named the best cheese. The world championship is held every other year in Madison. Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@ Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: U.S. Championship Cheese Contest comes to Green Bay every other year
