Minnesota and Wisconsin Highlights:
- Carr Valley's Cave Aged Marisa took 2nd place for overall Best in Show.
- Upland's Pleasant Ridge Reserve and LeClare Farms' Evalon placed 1st in their respective categories.
- Hidden Springs swept the flavored fresh sheep's milk cheese division with their Driftless collection.
- Holland’s Family Cheese swept the flavored Dutch style cheese division with the Marieke collection.
- Hook's took a blue ribbon for their Little Boy Blue cheese, but didn't place in the aged cheddar division, which surprised me.
- Alemar Cheese Company took third place for their Bent River Camembert – Style Cheese
- Widmers placed in a couple of brick categories.
- Cedar Grove took second place in the Colby category.
2nd Place Best in Show
Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI for their Cave Aged Marisa
Mascarpone – made from cow’s milk
1st place - Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, LLC, WI for their Mascarpone
Camembert - made from cow’s milk
3rd place - Alemar Cheese Company, MN for their Bent River Camembert – Style Cheese
Brick Cheese
1st place - Klondike Cheese Co., WI for their Brick
2nd place - Widmers Cheese Cellars, WI for their Mild Brick
Monterey Jack – made from cow’s milk
1st place - Burnett Dairy Co-Op, WI for their Monterey Jack
2nd place - Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI for their Monterey Jack
Brick Muenster
2nd place - Edelweiss Creamery, WI for their Muenster
3rd place - Klondike Cheese Co., WI for their Muenster
Colby – made from cow’s milk
2nd place - Cedar Grove Cheese Inc., WI for their Marbled Colby
3rd place - Hook’s Cheese Company, Inc., WI for their Colby
Original Recipe / Open Category made from goat’s milk
1st Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI for their Cocoa Cardona
2nd Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI for their Cave Aged Cardona
Original Recipe / Open Category made from sheep’s milk or mixed milks
1st place - Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI for their Cave Aged Mellage
Dutch style – all milks (Gouda, Edam etc.)
3rd place - Edelweiss Creamery, WI for their Gouda Cellar Aged (Grass Based)
Flavor Added – Dutch style – spices, herbs, seasonings, fruits – all milks
1st place - Holland’s Family Cheese, WI for their Marieke Gouda Cumin
2nd place - Holland’s Family Cheese, WI for their Marieke Gouda Black Mustard
3rd place - Holland’s Family Cheese, WI for their Marieke Gouda Mustard Melange
Open Category made from cow’s milk
3rd place - Sartori Company, WI for their Sartori Reserve BellaVitano Gold
Open Category made from sheep’s milk or mixed milks
1st place - Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI for their Caso Bolo Mellage
3rd place - Sartori Company, WI for their Sartori Limited Edition Pastorale Blend
Aged Cheddar, all milks (aged between 12 and 24 months)
3rd place - Kraft Foods, WI for their Aged Extra Sharp Cheddar
Cheddar flavored with sweet, savory, jalapeno, chipotle, red, green peppers; black, white, green peppercorns, garlic, onions
3rd place - Widmers Cheese Cellars, WI for their Cheddar/Jalapenos
Cheddar from cow’s milk, aged less than 12 months
2nd place - Kraft Foods, WI for their Limited Edition Extra Sharp Cheddar
3rd place - Kraft Foods, WI for their EX Sharp Cheddar
Cheddar from goat’s milk, aged less than 12 months
3rd place - Mt. Sterling Co-Op Creamery, WI for their Sterling Reserve / Raw Goat Milk Cave Aged Cheddar
Mature Cheddar aged longer than 48 months
2nd place - DCI Cheese Company, WI for their Black Diamond 5 Year Cheddar
Cheddar wrapped in cloth, linen, aged up to 12 months
2nd place - Bleu Mont Dairy, WI for their Bandaged Cheddar – Wrapped and Aged up to 12 Months
Cheddar wrapped in cloth, linen, aged over 12 months
2nd place - Bleu Mont Dairy, WI for their Bandaged Cheddar – Wrapped and Aged Over 12 Months
Rindless Blue-veined made from cow’s milk
2nd place - DCI Cheese Company, WI for their Salemville Blue Cheese
3rd place - DCI Cheese Company, WI for their Black River Gorgonzola
Rindless Blue-veined made from goat’s milk
2nd place - Finica Food Specialties Limited, WI for their Celebrity International Blue Goat Sliced
3rd place -Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI for their Billy Blue
3rd place - Montchevre-Betin, INC., WI for their Chevre in Blue – Goat Milk Blue
Rindless Blue-veined made from sheep’s milk or mixed milks
1st place - Hook’s Cheese Company, Inc., WI for their Little Boy Blue
2nd place - Shepherd’s Way Farms, MN for their Big Woods Blue
External Blue molded cheeses – all milks
3rd place Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI for their Virgin Pine Native Blue
Ripened category – Cotija, Flamingo Bolla, Freir, Queso Prato, Queso Añejo, Chihuahua, etc. – all milks
1st place - Emmi Roth USA Inc., WI for their Gran Queso Reserve
2nd place - Emmi Roth USA Inc., WI for their Gran Queso
Parmesan – all milks; (Romano made only from cow’s or goat’s milk and not from sheep’s milk)
1st place - Sartori Company, WI for their Sartori Parmesan
2nd place - Park Cheese Co Inc., WI for their Vegetarian Parmesan
Fresh Mozzarella – 8 oz. or more (Balls or Shapes) – all milks
1st place - BelGioioso Cheese Inc., WI for their Fresh Mozzarella Thermoform
Burrata – Fresh mozzarella encasing a distinctly separate, softer curd and cream, or other soft cheese, core – all milks
1st place - BelGioioso Cheese Inc., WI for their Burrata
Feta made from sheep’s milk or mixed milks
1st place - Hidden Springs Creamery, WI for their Farmstead Feta
Cheeses flavored with all peppers (chipotle, jalapeno, chili, etc.) – all milks
3rd place - Brunkow Cheese of Wisconsin, WI for their Brun-uusto with Jalapeno
Cheeses flavored with herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers, syrups – all milks
1st place - LaClare Farms Specialties LLC, WI for their Evalon with Fenugreek
3rd place - Sartori Company, WI for their Sartori Reserve Espresso BellaVitano
Cheeses flavored with crushed or whole peppercorns or savory spices – all milks
1st place - Sartori Company, WI for their Sartori Reserve Black Pepper BellaVitano
Flavor Added Havarti – spices, herbs, seasonings, fruits – all milks
2nd place - Klondike Cheese Co., WI for their Dill Havarti
3rd place - Edelweiss Creamery, WI for their Onion Havarti
Smoked Cheese - Open Category made from cow’s milk
1st place - Holland’s Family Cheese, WI for their Marieke Gouda Smoked Cumin
3rd place - 3rd Emmi Roth USA Inc., WI for their Rofumo
Smoked cheese - Open Category made from goat’s milk, sheep’s milk or mixed milks
3rd place - Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI for their Smoked Marisa
Smoked Italian Styles (Mozzarella, Scamorza, Bocconcini, Ovalini, etc.)
3rd place - Burnett Dairy Co-Op, WI for their Smoke Mozzarella String
Fresh Goat Rindless (black ash coating permitted, extruded or in containers, cups, tubs, cryovac
2nd place - Montchevre-Betin, INC., WI with their Crumbled Goat Cheese
Open Category - Fresh Sheep's Milk Cheeses
3rd place - Shepherd’s Way Farms, MN for their Shepherd’s Hope Original
Fresh Sheep's Milk Cheeses - Flavor Added – spices, herbs, seasonings, fruits
1st place - Hidden Springs Creamery, WI for their Driftless – Cranberry
2nd place - Hidden Springs Creamery, WI for their Driftless – Maple
3rd place - Hidden Springs Creamery, WI for their Driftless – Honey Lavender
Open Category made from goat’s milk marinated in liquids and ingredients
3rd place - Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI for their Sweet Vanilla Cardona
Open Category made from sheep’s milk or mixed milks marinated in liquids and ingredients
2nd place - Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI for their Canaria
Unsalted Butter made from cow’s milk with or without cultures
2nd place - CROPP Cooperative/ Organic Valley, WI for their Organic European Style Cultured Butter
Open Category Cold Pack Style made from cow’s milk
3rd place - Brunkow Cheese of Wisconsin, WI for their Blue Cheese Spread
Cold pack cheese food and cheese spreads with Flavor Added – spices, herbs, seasonings, fruits – all milks – maximum moisture 44%
2nd place - Brunkow Cheese of Wisconsin, WI for their Raw Milk Cheddar Spread with Hatch Chile
Open Category - Aged Goat's Milk Cheese
1st place - LaClare Farms Specialties LLC, WI for their Evalon
Open Category - Washed Rind Cheese made from goat’s milk
2nd place - Carr Valley Cheese Co, Inc., WI for their River Bend Goat
Open Category made from sheep’s milk or mixed milks - washed rind cheeses
2nd place - Hidden Springs Creamery, WI for their Ocooch
3rd place - Hidden Springs Creamery, WI for their Meadow Melody
Cheeses aged more than 90 days with up to 44% moisture – all milks
1st place - Uplands Cheese, WI for their Pleasant Ridge Reserve
3rd place - Widmers Cheese Cellars, WI for their Washed Rind Traditional Brick
[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]
