The 2015 American Cheese Society Conference came to a close over the weekend, and while much knowledge was acquired, fun had, drinks imbibed, and cheese devoured, the ACS Judging & Competition may have stolen the show for exciting upsets and sheer quantity of cheese. How much cheese? Exactly 1,779 distinct wheels, bricks, curds, pyramids, and more from 267 companies were entered into this year’s games, representing 38 American states and 4 Canadian provinces. The three cheesy powerhouses of the United States—Wisconsin, Vermont, and California—duked it out for regional supremacy, but it was clear one state was not gonna let anything fly: Vermont took home 44 total awards, California 47, and Wisconsin a whopping 99 total awards. Not content with more than double the cheesy recognition as its closest competitors, Wisconsin also won the most first-place ribbons at 22.
But what about the cheeses? As befitting the cow’s milk–dominated American market, 232 ribbons went to cow cheeses, followed by 68 to goat cheeses, 30 to sheep cheeses, 22 to mixed milk cheeses, and 3 for water buffalo cheeses.
The Best in Show went to the Celtic Blue Reserve by Glengarry Fine Cheeses in Ontario, Canada—the first Canadian cheese ever to win the coveted purple ribbon. (Its glorious triple-crème paste with some sexy blue veining is pictured above.)
What about the rest of the winners? The ACS has a handy brochure of this year’s winners (found here), but being the word on cheese, culture couldn’t let that treasure trove of cheesy data just sit there in a PDF. Below you will find all of the winners for the Best in Show and Farmstead Cheese categories and the top winners for every one of the other 19 categories—complete with links to the makers’ websites and culture Cheese Library entries when available.
Scroll through, explore, and try some of these cheeses!
Categories
Best in Show
A. Fresh Unripened Cheeses
B. Soft-Ripened Cheeses
C. American Originals
D. American Made / International Style
E. Cheddars
F. Blue Mold Cheeses
G. Hispanic & Portuguese Style Cheeses
H. Italian Type Cheeses
I. Feta Cheeses
J. Low Fat / Low Salt Cheeses
K. Flavored Cheeses
L. Smoked Cheeses
M. Farmstead Cheeses
N. Goat’s Milk Cheeses
O. Sheep’s Milk Cheeses
P. Marinated Cheeses
Q. Cultured Milk and Cream Products
R. Butters
S. Spreads
T. Washed Rind Cheeses
1st Place: Celtic Blue Reserve
Glengarry Fine Cheese | Ontario, Canada
Cheesemaker: Wilma Klein-Swormink
2nd Place TIED: Standard Market Cave Aged Chandoka
LaClare Farms | Malone, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Katie (Hedrich) Fuhrmann and LaClare Team
2nd Place TIED: Roth’s Private Reserve
Emmi Roth USA | Monroe, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Team Emmi Roth USA
3rd Place: Harbison
Jasper Hill Farm | Greensboro, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Mateo Kehler
Limited to cheeses and fermented milk products made with milk from herds on the farm where the cheeses are produced
Farmstead Cheeses Aged less than 60 Days—All Milks (MA)
1st Place: Petit Marcel
Pugs Leap | Petaluma, California
Cheesemaker: Jennifer Kirkham
2nd Place TIED: Rippleton
Meadowood Farms| Cazenovia, New York
Cheesemaker: Veronica Pedraza
2nd Place TIED: Summer Snow
Woodcock Farm | Weston, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Mark & Gari Fischer
3rd Place: Tide Line
Winter Hill Farm | Freeport, Maine
Cheesemaker: Sarah Wiederkehr
Farmstead Cheeses Aged 60 Days or More—39% or Higher Moisture—Made from Cow’s Milk (MC)
1st Place: Winnimere
Jasper Hill Farm | Greensboro, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Mateo Kehler
2nd Place: Dancing Fern
Sequatchie Cove Creamery | Sequatchie, Tennessee
Cheesemaker: Nathan Arnold
3rd Place: Grayson
Meadow Creek Dairy | Galax, Virginia
Cheesemaker: Helen Feete
Spring Brook Farm Taerentaise
Farmstead Cheeses Aged 60 days or More—Less than 39% Moisture—Made from Cow’s Milk (ME)
1s Place: Tarentaise
Farms For City Kids Foundation | Reading, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Spring Brook Farm Team
2nd Place: Marieke Gouda Aged (9-12 Month)
Holland’s Family Cheese | Thorp, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Marieke Gouda Cheese Team
3rd Place: Extra-Aged Pleasant Ridge Reserve
Uplands Cheese | Dodgeville, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Uplands Cheese
Farmstead Cheeses Aged 60 days or More—made from Goat’s Milk (MG)
1st Place: Rosa Maria
Shadow Brook Farm’s Dutch Girl Creamery| Lincoln, Nebraska
Cheesemaker: Charuth Van Beuzekom
2nd Place: Samson
Pugs Leap | Petaluma, California
Cheesemaker: Jennifer Kirkham
3rd Place: Manchester
Consider Bardwell Farm | West Pawlet, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Consider Bardwell Farm
Farmstead Cheeses Aged 60 Days or More—Made from Sheep’s | Mixed, or Other Milks (MS)
1st Place: Verano
Vermont Shepherd | Putney, Vermont
Cheesemaker: David Major
2nd Place TIED: Ben Nevis
Bonnieview Farm | Craftsbury, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Neil Urie
2nd Place TIED: Fleur des Monts
Fromagerie La Moutonniere | Québec, Canada
Cheesemaker: Lucille Giroux
3rd Place: Will o’ Wisp
Fairy Tale Farm | Bridport, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Alissa Shethar
Cheese Curds, Mascarpone, Cream Cheese, Ricotta, Impastata, Quark, Fromage Blanc, Cottage Cheeses
Cheese Curds—All Milks (AH)
1st Place: White Cheddar Cheese Curds
Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese | Waterloo, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Crave Cheese Team
Mascarpone and Cream Cheese—Made from Cow’s Milk (AM)
1st Place: Hahn’s Cultured Cream Cheese
Franklin Foods | Enosburg Falls, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Team Franklin Foods
Ricotta—Made from Cow’s Milk (AR)
1st Place: No Winner
2nd Place: Ricotta Salata
Swallowtail Farm And Creamery | Whitefield, Maine
Cheesemaker: Lauren and Sean Pignatello
Nicasio Valley Foggy Morning
Fromage Blanc, Fromage Frais, and Quark—Made from Cow’s Milk (AQ)
1st Place: Foggy Morning
Nicasio Valley Cheese Company | Nicasio, California
Cheesemaker: Scott Lafranchi
Open Category—Fresh Unripened Cheeses—Made from Cow’s Milk (AC)
1st Place: Crescenza / Stracchino
Narragansett Creamery | Providence, Rhode Island
Cheesemaker: Mark Federico
Open Category—Fresh Unripened Cheeses—Made from Goat’s Milk (AG)
1st Place: Fromage Blanc
Montchevré | Belmont, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Jean Rossard
Open Category—Fresh Unripened Cheeses—Made from Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (AS)
1st Place: No Winner
2nd Place: Mixed Milk Laychee
Pennyroyal Farm | Boonville, California
Cheesemaker: Erika McKenzie-Chapter
White surface mold ripened cheeses (Brie, Camembert, Coulommiers, etc.)
Brie—Made from Cow’s Milk (BB)
1st Place: Traditional Brie 8 oz.
Marin French Cheese Company | Petaluma, California
Cheesemaker: Team Marin French
Camembert—Made from Cow’s Milk (BC)
1st Place: Green Hill
Sweet Grass Dairy | Thomasville, Georgia
Cheesemaker: Jeremy Little, Sweet Grass Dairy
Triple Crème—Soft Ripened/Cream Added—All Milks (BT)
1st Place: 3 Kg. Triple Cream Brie
Lactalis American Group | Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Lenny Bass
Jasper Hill Harbison
Open Category—Soft-Ripened Cheeses—Made from Cow’s Milk (BA)
1st Place: Harbison
Jasper Hill Farm | Greensboro, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Mateo Kehler
Open Category—Soft-Ripened Cheeses—Made from Goat’s Milk (BG)
1st Place: Ripened Chèvre Roll with Ash
York Hill Farm | New Sharon, Maine
Cheesemaker: Penny Duncan
Open Category—Soft-Ripened Cheeses—Made from Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (BS)
1st Place: Little Bloom
Tide Mill Creamery | Edmunds, Maine
Cheesemaker: Hannah Bath and Rachel Bell
Cheeses recognized by the ACS as uniquely American in their original forms (Monterey Jack, Dry Jack, Brick Cheese, Brick Muenster, Colby, Teleme) or unique in their recipe and formulation and which do not strictly conform to the guidelines of other acknowledged recipes for cheese types.
Brick Cheese—Made from Cow’s Milk (CB)
1st Place: Wisconsin Brick
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, Comstock Division | Ellsworth, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: John Schmid and Anthony Pinnerud
Dry Jack—Made from Cow’s Milk (CD)
1st Place: No Winners
2nd Place: Aquasco Jack
P. A. Bowen Farmstead | Brandywine, Maryland
Cheesemaker: Sally Fallon Morell
Monterey Jack—Made from Cow’s Milk (CJ)
1st Place: Monterrey Jack
Southwest Cheese | Clovis, New Mexico
Cheesemaker: Team SWC
Brick Muenster—Made from Cow’s Milk (CM)
1st Place: No Winner
2nd Place: Muenster
Klondike Cheese Company | Monroe, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Dave Buholzer
Colby—Made from Cow’s Milk (CY)
1st Place: Colby
Guggisberg Cheese | Millersburg, Ohio
Cheesemaker: Ryan Weldy
American Originals Original Recipe / Open Category—Made from Cow’s Milk (CC)
1st Place: Roth’s Private Reserve
Emmi Roth USA | Monroe, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Team Emmi Roth USA
American Originals Original Recipe / Open Category—Made from Goat’s Milk (CG)
1st Place: Humboldt Fog Grande
Cypress Grove Chevre | Arcata, California
Cheesemaker: Cypress Grover Chevre
Bleating Heart Fat Bottom Girl
American Originals Original Recipe / Open Category—Made from Sheep’s Milk (CS)
1st Place: Fat Bottom Girl
Bleating Heart Cheese | Tomales, California
Cheesemaker: Team Bleating Heart
American Originals Original Recipe / Open Category—Made from Mixed or Other Milks (CX)
1st Place: Standard Market Cave Aged Chandoka
LaClare Farms Specialties | LLC | Malone, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Katie (Hedrich) Fuhrmann and LaClare Team
Cheeses modeled after or based on recipes for established European or other international types or styles (Beaufort, Abondance, Gruyère, Juustoleipa, Caerphilly, English Territorials, Butterkäse, Monastery, Port Salut styles, etc.)
Dutch-Style (Gouda, Edam, etc.)—All Milks (DD)
1st Place: Louis Cyr
Fromagerie Bergeron | Québec, Canada
Cheesemaker: Thomas Paquin-Roy
Emmental-Style with Eye Formation (Swiss, Baby Swiss, Blocks, Wheels)—Made from Cow’s Milk (DE)
1st Place: Baby Swiss
Guggisberg Cheese | Millersburg, Ohio
Cheesemaker: Cecylia Szewczyk
Open Category—American Made / International Style—Made from Cow’s Milk (DC)
1st Place: Aged Raclette
Leelanau Cheese | Suttons Bay, Michigan
Cheesemaker: John Hoyt
Open Category—American Made / International Style—Made from Goat’s Milk (DG)
1st Place: Bijou
Vermont Creamery | Websterville, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Vermont Creamery Aged Cheese Team
Open Category—American Made / International Style—Made from Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (DS)
1st Place: Manchego Reserve
Hidden Springs Creamery | Westby, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Brenda Jensen
All Cheddars—all milks (based on age at time of Judging & Competition)
Aged Cheddar—Aged over 12 and up to 24 Months—All Milks (EA)
1st Place: Face Rock 2 Year Extra Aged Cheddar
Face Rock Creamery | Bandon, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Brad Sinko
Cheddar—Aged up to 12 Months—Made from Cow’s Milk (EC)
1st Place: Tillamook White Medium Cheddar
Tillamook County Creamery Association | Tillamook, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Team Tillamook
Central Coast Creamery Goat Cheddar
Cheddar—Aged up to 12 Months—Made from Goat’s, Sheep’s, Buffalo’s, Mixed, or Other Milk (EG)
1st Place: Goat Cheddar
Central Coast Creamery | Paso Robles, California
Cheesemaker: Reggie Jones
Mature Cheddar—Aged over 24 and up to 48 Months—All Milks (EX)
1st Place: Four Year Flagship
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese | Seattle, Washington
Cheesemaker: Sharif Ball
Mature Cheddar—Aged over 48 Months—All Milks (EE)
1st Place: Cabot Old School Cheddar
Cabot Creamery Cooperative | Cabot, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Tim Deering
Cheddar Wrapped in Cloth, Linen—Aged up to 12 Months—All Milks (EW)
1st Place: Cabot Clothbound Cheddar
Cellars at Jasper Hill | Greensboro, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Marcel Gravel; May Leach; Mateo and Andy Kehler
Cheddar Wrapped in Cloth, Linen—Aged over 12 Months—All Milks (EB)
1st Place: Cabot Clothbound Cheddar Select
Cellars at Jasper Hill | Greensboro, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Marcel Gravel; May Leach; Mateo and Andy Kehler
All cheeses ripened with Penicillium roqueforti or glaucum
Rindless Blue-Veined—Made from Cow’s Milk (FC)
1st Place: Simply Artisan Reserve True Blue
Simply Artisan Reserve by Litehouse | Sandpoint, Idaho
Cheesemaker: Marvin Sharp
Rindless Blue-Veined—Made from Goat’s Milk (FG)
1st Place: Chévre in Blue
Montchevré | Belmont, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Jean Rossard
Rindless Blue-Veined—Made from Sheep’s, Mixed, Other Milks (FS)
1st Place: No Winner
2nd Place: BelGioioso Gorgonzola with Sheep’s Milk
BelGioioso Cheese | Green Bay, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Tony Ellis
Blue-Veined with a Rind or External Coating—Made from Cow’s Milk (FK)
1st Place: Celtic Blue Reserve
Glengarry Fine Cheese | Ontario, Canada
Cheesemaker: Wilma Klein-Swormink
Blue-Veined with a Rind or External Coating—Made from Goat’s Milk (FL)
1st Place: No Winner
2nd Place: Midnight Blue
Avalanche Cheese Company | Basalt, Colorado
Cheesemaker: Avalanche Cheese Company
Blue-Veined with a Rind or External Coating—Made from Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (FM)
1st Place: No Winner
2nd Place: Two-Faced Blue
Willapa Hills Cheese | Chehalis, Washington
Cheesemaker: Team Willapa Hills
Westfield Farm Bluebonnet
External Blue-Molded Cheeses—All Milks (FE)
1st Place: Bluebonnet
Westfield Farm | Hubbardston, Massachusetts
Cheesemaker: Kim Hayes
Cheeses based on the recipes of the Azorean, Brazilian, Central American, Colombian, Cuban, Guatemalan, Hispanic, Latino, Mexican, and Portuguese communities.
Ripened, Aged over 90 Days—All Milks (GA)
1st Place: Roth GranQueso Reserve
Emmi Roth USA | Monroe, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Team Emmi Roth USA
Fresh, Unripened—All Milks (GC)
1st Place: Sand Hill Artesano Panela
Sand Hill Dairy | Fallon, Nevada
Cheesemaker: Gerardo & Fransisco Duenas
Melting Hispanic—Cheeses Intended to be Consumed Melted (GM)
1st Place: Queso Oaxaca Don Froylan
Ochoa’s Queseria | Albany, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Francisco Ochoa
Excluded: Mascarpone and Ricotta
Pasta Filata Types (Provolone, Caciocavallo)—All Milks (HP)
1st Place: BelGioioso Sharp Provolone Mandarino
BelGioioso Cheese | Green Bay, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Mauro Rozzi
Grating Types (Reggianito, Sardo, Domestic Parmesan)—All Milks; Romano Made Only from Cow’s or Goat’s milk and Not from Sheep’s Milk (HA)
1st Place: Cello Riserva Copper Kettle Parmesan Cheese
Arthur Schuman, Inc | Turtle Lake, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Team Lake Country Dairy
Mozzarella Types (Brick, Scamorza, String Cheese)—All Milks (HM)
1st Place: Farmer’s Rope String Cheese
Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese | Waterloo, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Crave Cheese Team
Fresh Mozzarella—8 oz. or More (Balls or Shapes)—All Milks (HY)
1st Place: Bella Casara Buffalo Mozzarella
Quality Cheese, Atalanta Corporation | Ontario, Canada
Cheesemaker: Team Quality
Fresh Mozzarella—Under 8 oz. (Ovalini, Bocconcini, Ciliegine Sizes)—All Milks (HZ)
1st Place: Fresh Mozzarella—Bocconcini
Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese | Waterloo, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Crave Cheese Team
Burrata—Fresh Mozzarella Encasing a Distinctly Separate, Softer Curd and Cream, or Other Soft Cheese, Core—All Milks (HB)
1st Place: Burrata
Calabro Cheese Corporation | East Haven, Connecticut
Cheesemaker: Calabro Cheese Coproration
Feta—Made from Cow’s Milk (IC)
1st Place: Brinza Feta
Karoun Dairies | San Fernando, California
Cheesemaker: Jaime Graca
Feta—Made from Goat’s Milk (IG)
1st Place: Goat Milk Feta
Briar Rose Creamery | Dundee, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Sarah Marcus
Feta—Made from Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (IS)
1st Place: Barred Owl Organic Feta
Barred Owl Creamery | Whitefield, Maine
Cheesemaker: Patti Hamilton
Fat Free and Low Fat Cheeses—All Milks (JL)
1st Place: No Winner
2nd Place: E-lite Nature
Agropur Fine Cheeses | Québec, Canada
Cheesemaker: Agropur Dairy Cooperative
Light/Lite and Reduced Fat Cheeses—All Milks (JR)
1st Place: Reduced Fat Swiss Wheel
Guggisberg Cheese | Millersburg, Ohio
Cheesemaker: Cecylia Szewczyk
Cheeses with flavor added
Fresh Unripened Cheese with Flavor Added—All Milks (KA)
1st Place: Nettle Farmers Cheese
Sweet Rowen Farmstead | West Glover, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Blair C. Johnson
Cheese Curds with Flavor Added—All Milks (KL)
1st Place: Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Curds
Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese | Waterloo, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Crave Cheese Team
Soft-Ripened with Flavor Added—All Milks (KB)
1st Place: Lea’s Great Meadow
Ruggles Hill Creamery | Hardwick, Massachusetts
Cheesemaker: Tricia Smith
International-Style with Flavor Added—all milks (KD)
1st Place: Marieke Gouda Foenegreek
Holland’s Family Cheese | Thorp, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Marieke Gouda Cheese Team
Cheddar with Flavor Added—all milks (KE)
1st Place: Cheddar with Jalapenos
Widmer’s Cheese Cellars | Theresa, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Joseph Widmer
Farmstead Cheese with Flavor Added (Must Conform to All Guidelines in Category M)—All Milks (KF)
1st Place: Smoked Black Pepper and Chive Gouda
Willamette Valley Cheese | Salem, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Rod Volbeda
Hispanic-Style with Flavor Added—All Milks (KG)
1st Place: Don Froylan Queso Botanero Cilantro & Jalapeño
Ochoa’s Queseria | Albany, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Francisco Ochoa
Feta with Flavor Added—All Milks (KI)
1st Place: Odyssey Peppercorn Feta
Klondike Cheese Co. | Monroe, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Steve Buholzer
Reduced Fat Cheese with Flavor Added—All Milks (KJ)
2nd Place: Cabot Jalapeño Light Cheddar
Cabot Creamery Cooperative | Cabot, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Dennis Dwinell
Rubbed-Rind Cheese with Added Flavor Ingredients Rubbed or Applied by Hand Only on the Exterior Surface of the Cheese—All Milks (KK)
Beehive Cheese Co. Barely Buzzed
1st Place: Barely Buzzed
Beehive Cheese Co. | Uintah, Utah
Cheesemaker: Tim Welsh
Monterey Jack with Flavor Added—All Milks (KM)
1st Place: Abruzze Jawn
Cherry Grove Farm | Lawrence Township, New Jersey
Cheesemaker: Paul Lawler
Fresh Goat Cheese with Flavor Added—100% Goat’s Milk (KN)
1st Place: PsycheDillic
Cypress Grove Chevre | Arcata, California
Cheesemaker: Cypress Grove Chevre
Sheep Cheese with Flavor Added—100% Sheep’s Milk (KO)
1st Place: Driftless-Honey Lavender
Hidden Springs Creamery | Westby, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Brenda Jensen
Yogurt and Cultured Products with Flavor Added—All Milks (KQ)
1st Place: Yo-Goat, Strawberry
Coach Farm | Pine Plains, New York
Cheesemaker: Mark Newbold
Butter with Flavor Added—All Milks (KR)
1st Place: Cultured Butter Blended with Sea Salt and Maple
Vermont Creamery | Websterville, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Vermont Creamery Butter Team
Cold Pack Cheese and Spreads with Flavor Added—All Milks (KS)
1st Place: Pimento Cheese Spread
Sweet Grass Dairy | Thomasville, Georgia
Cheesemaker: Jeremy Little, Sweet Grass Dairy
Open Category—Cheeses with Flavor Added—All Milks and Mixed Milks (KC)
1st Place: BelGioioso Black Truffle Burrata
BelGioioso Cheese | Green Bay, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Lucas Kallman
Smoked Italian Styles (Mozzarella, Scamorza, Bocconcini, Ovalini, etc.)—All Milks (LM)
1st Place: Smoked Caciocavallo
Saputo | Québec, Canada
Cheesemaker: Saputo Dairy Products Canada G.P.
Smoked Cheddars—All Milks (LD)
1st Place: Smoked Flagship
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese | Seattle, Washington
Cheesemaker: Sharif Ball
Open Category—Smoked Cheeses—Made from Cow’s Milk (LC)
1st Place: Smokey Blue
Rogue Creamery | Central Point, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Rogue Creamery—Blue Team
Open Category—Smoked Cheeses—Made from Goat’s Milk, Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (LG)
1st Place: Smoked Capri
Westfield Farm | Hubbardston, Massachusetts
Cheesemaker: Debby Stetson
Open to all shapes and styles of goat’s milk cheeses based on age at time of Judging & Competition
Fresh Rindless Goat’s Milk Cheese Aged 0 to 30 days (Black Ash Coating Permitted) (NO)
1st Place: Celebrity International Original Goat Cheese
Mariposa Dairy, Atalanta Corporation | Ontario, Canada
Cheesemaker: Pieter Van Oudenaren
Capriole Sofia
Fresh Goat’s Milk Cheese Aged 0 to 30 days (Hand-Shaped, Formed, or Molded into Pyramid, Disc, Drum, Crottin, Basket or Other Shape) (NS)
1st Place: Sofia
Capriole | Greenville, Indiana
Cheesemaker: Capriole Team
Goat’s Milk Cheese Aged 31 to 60 days (NT)
1st Place: Ellie’s Cloudy Down
Ruggles Hill Creamery | Hardwick, Massachusetts
Cheesemaker: Tricia Smith
Goat’s Milk Cheese Aged Over 60 days (NU)
1st Place: Haystack Mountain Queso De Mano
Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy | Longmont, Colorado
Cheesemaker: Jackie Chang
Open to all shapes and styles of sheep’s milk cheeses based on age at time of Judging & Competition
Fresh Rindless Sheep’s Milk Cheese Aged 0 to 30 days (OO)
1st Place: Brebis
Many Fold Farm | Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia
Cheesemaker: Rebecca Williams
Sheep’s Milk Cheese Aged 31 to 60 days (OT)
1st Place: Garretts Ferry
Many Fold Farm | Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia
Cheesemaker: Rebecca Williams
Sheep’s Milk Cheese Aged Over 60 days (OU)
1st Place: Peekville Tomme
Many Fold Farm | Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia
Cheesemaker: Rebecca Williams
Cheeses marinated in oil, vinegar, wine, spirits and liqueur, etc., including additional ingredients
Cheeses Marinated in Liquids and Ingredients—Made from Cow’s Milk (PC)
1st Place: Sartori Reserve Kentucky Bourbon BellaVitano
Sartori Company | Plymouth, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Mike Matucheski
Cheeses Marinated in Liquids and Ingredients—Made from Goat’s Milk (PG)
1st Place: Chèvre in Olive Oil
Appleton Creamery | Appleton, Maine
Cheesemaker: Caitlin Hunter
Limited to Buttermilk, Yogurt, Sour Cream, Crème Fraiche, Kefir, Labne, etc.
Crème Fraîche and Sour Cream Products—Made from Cow’s Milk (QF)
1st Place: Alouette Crème Fraîche
Alouette | Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Cheesemaker: Alouette Cheese USA LLC
Redwood Hill Goat Milk Kefir
Kefir, Drinkable Yogurt, Buttermilk, and Other Drinkable Cultured Products—All Milks (QK)
1st Place: Redwood Hill Farm Traditional Plain Goat Milk Kefir
Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery | Sebastapol, California
Cheesemaker: Redwood Hill Farm Team
Labneh, Greek Style Yogurt, and Other Strained Cultured Products—All Milks (QL)
1st Place: Odyssey Greek Yogurt
Klondike Cheese Co. | Monroe, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Adam Buholzer
Yogurts—Plain with No Additional Ingredients—Made from Cow’s Milk (QY)
1st Place: Plain Yogurt
Traders Point Creamery | Zionsville, Indiana
Cheesemaker: Kristopher Malling
Yogurts—Plain with No Additional Ingredients—Made from Goat’s Milk (QD)
1st Place: Capretta Low Fat Yogurt
Sierra Nevada Cheese Company | Willows, California
Cheesemaker: Ben Gregersen & John Dundon
Yogurts—Plain with No Additional Ingredients—Made from Sheep’s, Mixed, or other milks (QE)
1st Place: Only Ewe Yogurt
Green Dirt Farm | Weston, Missouri
Cheesemaker: Sarah Hoffmann
Whey Butter, Salted Butter, Sweet Butter, Cultured Butter, etc.
Salted Butter with or without Cultures—Made from Cow’s Milk (RC)
1st Place: Tillamook Salted Sweet Cream Butter
Tillamook County Creamery Association | Tillamook, Oregon
Cheesemaker: Team Tillamook
Unsalted Butter with or without Cultures—Made from Cow’s Milk (RO)
1st Place: Organic Unsalted Butter
Rumiano Cheese Company | Crescent City, California
Cheesemaker: Rumiano Cheese-Making Team
Butter with or without Cultures—Made from Goat’s, Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (RM)
1st Place: Haverton Hill Sheep Butter
Haverton Hill Creamery | Petaluma, California
Cheesemaker: Joe and Missy Adiego
Spreads produced by grinding and mixing, without the aid of heat and/or emulsifying salts, one or more natural cheeses
Open Category Cold Pack Style—All Milks (SC)
1st Place: No Winner
2nd PLACE Pepper Jack Cold Pack Cheese Spread
Pine River| Newton, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Phil Lindemann
Soft-Ripened Washed Rind—All Milks (TB)
1st Place: Champfleury
Agropur Fine Cheeses | Québec, Canada
Cheesemaker: Agropur Dairy Cooperative
Raclette-Style—Aged over 45 days—All Milks (TR)
1st Place: Reading
Farms For City Kids | Reading, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Spring Brook Farm Team
Parish Hill Creamery Vermont Herdsman
Open Category—Washed Rind Cheeses—Cow’s Milk (TC)
1st Place: Vermont Herdsman
Parish Hill Creamery & Crown Finish Caves | Westminster West, Vermont
Cheesemaker: Parish Hill Creamery
Open Category—Washed Rind Cheeses—Goat’s Milk (TG)
1st Place: Red Cloud
Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy | Longmont, Colorado
Cheesemaker: Jackie Chang
Open Category—Washed Rind Cheeses—Sheep’s, Mixed, or Other Milks (TS)
1st Place: Meadow Melody
Hidden Springs Creamery | Westby, Wisconsin
Cheesemaker: Brenda Jensen
Grant Bradley
Grant Bradley is culture's former web editor and never ceases to thank his nameless human ancestor who figured that leaving some milk around for a while and then eating it was probably a great idea. Raised on California’s Central Coast, educated in the Pacific Northwest, and transplanted to New England, Grant likes to write, edit, and code things.
