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It's the most wonderful time of the year!
The 2022 World Championship Cheese Contest was held from March 1st to 3rd in Madison, Wisconsin. Out of almost 3,000 entries from 29 different countries, a panel of expert judges has determined the best cheeses in the world. This year's judges have a whopping 700+ years of combined experience in the dairy industry!
The cheese that took home the World Champion title at the awards was a Swiss cheese called Gourmino Le Gruyère AOP by cheesemaker Michael Spycher. According to the Gourmino website, "Our Le Gruyère AOP cheeses are handcrafted by three master cheese makers in their village- and mountain dairies. The 3-time award for “World Cheese Champion” confirms our small but fine selection and affinage of the most famous cheeses in the world."
The first runner up was Appenzeller® Mild-Würzig by cheesemaker Hans Näf from Switzerland. The second runner up was Erzherzog Johann, a mature washed rind hard cheese, by cheesemaker Othmar Pichler and his team from Austria.
The World Champion, first and second runner ups were determined after the judges narrowed down the nearly 3,000 entries to just 20 cheeses. According to the World Championship Cheese Contest's March 7th, 2022 press release, the 20 specially-selected cheeses are as follows:
Class 4: Cheddar, Aged One to Two Years
Cheese Name: Aged Cheddar – One to Two Years
Maker: Kiel Production Team
Company: Land O Lakes, Inc.
Location: Kiel, Wisconsin, USA
Class 31: Feta, Flavored
Cheese Name: Odyssey Peppercorn Feta
Maker: Steve Webster
Company: Klondike Cheese Co.
Location: Monroe, Wisconsin, USA
Class 35: Gorgonzola
Cheese Name: BelGioioso CreamyGorg
Maker: Jeff Allen
Company: BelGioioso Cheese Inc.
Location: Denmark, Wisconsin, USA
Class 38: Open Class: Cheeses with Blue Molding
Cheese Name: Red Rock
Maker: Team Roelli
Company: Roelli Cheese Co., Inc.
Location: Shullsburg, Wisconsin, USA
Class 41: Gouda, Mature (4-10 months)
Cheese Name: Beemster Royaal
Maker: Lieke Kortekaas
Company: Beemster
Location: Westbeemster, Netherlands
Class 42: Gouda, Extra Aged (over 10 months)
Cheese Name: Roemer Sweet
Maker: Team Van der Heiden Kaas
Company: Van der Heiden Kaas B.V.
Location: Bodegraven, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Class 44: Gouda, Smoked
Cheese Name: Castello Smoked Cracked Pepper Gouda
Maker: Dave Newman
Company: Arla Foods
Location: Kaukauna, Wisconsin, USA
Class 52: Gruyere
Cheese Name: Gourmino Le Gruyère AOP
Maker: Michael Spycher, Mountain Dairy Fritzenhaus
Company: Gourmino AG
Location: Langnau i.E., Bern, Switzerland
Class 53: Appenzeller
Cheese Name: Appenzeller® Mild-Würzig
Maker: Hans Näf
Company: Käserei Niederbüren AG
Location: Niederbüren, Switzerland
Class 57: Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Semi-soft (Semi-hard), Aged Cheeses (over 4 months)
Cheese Name: Tête de Moine AOP
Maker: Fromages Spielhofer
Company: Fromages Spielhofer SA
Location: St-Imier, Bern, Switzerland
Class 58: Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Hard Cheeses, Mature (less than 9 months)
Cheese Name: Erzherzog Johann
Maker: Pichler Othmar and Team
Company: Obersteirische Molkerei eGen
Location: Knittelfeld, Steiermark, Austria
Class 59: Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Hard Cheeses, Extra Aged (over 9 months)
Cheese Name: Roth Grand Cru Surchoix
Maker: Team Emmi Roth – Monroe
Company: Emmi Roth
Location: Monroe, Wisconsin, USA
Class 60: Wine/Spirits Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Cheeses
Cheese Name: Mont Vully Réserve
Maker: Käserei Schafer AG
Company: Käserei Schafer AG
Location: Cressier FR, Fribourg, Switzerland
Class 68: Open Class: Semi-soft Cheeses
Cheese Name: Holland Master Cantenaar
Maker: Team Steenderen
Company: Royal FrieslandCampina
Location: Amersfoort, Netherlands
Class 69: Open Class: Hard Cheeses
Cheese Name: Beemster Royaal Grand Cru
Maker: Team Beemster
Company: Beemster
Location: Westbeemster, Netherlands
Class 73: Open Class: Semi-soft Cheeses, Flavored
Cheese Name: Point Reyes TomaTruffle
Maker: Kuba Hemmerling & Team
Company: Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company
Location: Petaluma, California, USA
Class 77: Reduced Fat Soft & Semi-soft Cheeses
Cheese Name: Vermeer
Maker: Team Steenderen
Company: Royal FrieslandCampina
Location: Amersfoort, Netherlands
Class 102: Hard Sheep’s Milk Cheeses, Extra Aged (over 6 months)
Cheese Name: Ocooch Reserve
Maker: Brenda Jensen
Company: Hidden Springs Creamery
Location: Westby, Wisconsin, USA
Class 104: Surface (Mold) Ripened Sheep’s Milk Cheeses
Cheese Name: Los Cameros Cured Sheep Cheese
Maker: Lácteos Martínez S.L.U.
Company: Lácteos Martínez S.L.U.
Location: Haro, La Rioja, Spain
Class 107: Soft & Semi-soft Mixed Milk Cheeses
Cheese Name: Nettle Meadow Kunik
Maker: Team Nettle Meadow
Company: Nettle Meadow
Location: Warrensburg, New York, USA
Click here to see the complete results of the contest. Congratulations to all of the winners!
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