Wisconsin Ag Connection - Wisconsin Tops in 21 Categories at World Cheese Contest

Wisconsin Ag News Headlines

Wisconsin Tops in 21 Categories at World Cheese Contest
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 03/19/2010

For the second consecutive time, the top three winners of the World Champion Cheese Contest in Madison all came from overseas. On Thursday, the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association announced that this year's top winner was Cedric Fragniere of Switzerland, who made a Gruyere cheese. Sennerei Andeer of Switzerland was the first runner-up with an entry in the Smear Ripened Hard Cheeses category. And third place went to the Alois Pesendorfer Crew from Austria, who brought a product called Gmundner Berg Premium.

Wisconsin cheese companies took top honors in 21 different classes this year. Among the winning Wisconsin entries were: Cheddar (aged 2 years): Kiel Cheesemakers, Land O'Lakes, Kiel; Colby Jack Longhorn: Tom Ramsden, A Meister Cheese Co., Muscoda; Class Provolone: Roger Krohn, Trega Foods, Luxemburg; Mandarini Provolone: Allen Steger, Park Cheese Co., Fond du Lac; Parmesan: Dan Szczepanski, BelGioioso Cheese, Inc., Denmark; Havarti: John Yttri, Edelweiss Creamery, Monticello; Cottage Cheese (4%): Cottage Team, Westby Co-op Creamery, Westby; Brick: Dave Buholzer, Klondike Cheese Co., Monroe; Burning Melange Gouda: Holland's Family Cheese Team, Holland's Family Cheese LLC, Thorp; Asadero: Dennis Schliem, Zimmerman Cheese, Wiota; Queso Fresco with Jalapenos: Team Two, Wisconsin Cheese Group, Monroe; Peppercorn Cheddar: Kerry Henning, Henning Cheese, Kiel; Mascarpone: Bill Codr, BelGioioso Cheese, Denmark; Cheddar (with beer cold pack cheese food): Michael Kraemer, Kraemer Wisconsin Cheese, Watertown; Horseradish Cheese Spread: Bel Brands Merkts Orange Team, Bel Brands USA Inc., Kaukauna; Philadelphia Cream Cheese: Rigid Team, Kraft Foods, Beaver Dam; Fresh Chevre Cranberry Cinnamon: Helene Rossard, Montchevre Betin Inc., Belmont; Crumbled Goat Cheese: Misty Gobrecht, Montchevre Betin, Belmont; Airco: Sid Cook, Carr Valley Cheese Co., La Valle; Caso Bolo Mellage: Sid Cook, Carr Valley Cheese Co., La Valle; and Shredded SarVecchio Parmesan: Team Plymouth, Sartori Foods, Plymouth.

Companies representing the Dairy State also took second place in 24 different categories, and third place in 27 areas of the competition.

The contest, which wrapped up on Thursday at the Monona Terrace Convention Center, featured over 2,300 entries from 20 nations, breaking the previous record of 1,800 items in 2006.