We love Wisconsin Cheese!

We love to photograph it and we love to eat it.

Once again, Wisconsin Cheeses dominated in the 2019 United States Championship Cheese Contest, earning gold medals in 60 of the 116 contest classes and sweeping the gold, silver, and bronze medals in 25 classes.

The U.S. Championship Cheese Contest had a record 2,555 entries this year.

Winners

A Baby Swiss Wheel made by Guggisberg Cheese, Ohio, was named the best cheese in the United States, barely edging out the two runners up from Wisconsin.

Marieke Gouda of Thorp, Wisconsin claimed both the first and second runner-up positions in the 2019 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.

• Marieke Gouda Premium came in at 98.41, just one-tenth of a point behind the Champion Cheese.
• Marieke Gouda Overjarige earned a score of 98.39

Source: NBC 26

Top 20

Other Wisconsin cheeses to make the top 20 included:

* Two Emmi Roth offerings — a Roth Grand Cru Reserve Block made in Platteville and a Roth Pavino Cheese produced in Monroe.
* An English Hollow Cheddar and a smoked Gouda from Maple Leaf Cheesemakers in Monroe
* A Top Hat English Truckle Cheddar from Door Artisan Cheese Co. in Egg Harbor; a Muenster from Decatur Dairy in Brodhead
* A Gorgonzola from Great Lakes Cheese in Seymour
* A Sartori Reserve Espresso BellaVitano from Sartori Company in Plymouth

Source: Wisconsin State Journal

Trends

Looking for something new to try?

Flavored cottage cheese is on the rise, accounting for a 77% rise in entries over the last competition in 2017.
Source: United States Championship Cheese Contest

Latin American-style melting cheese is also hot, rising to 38 entries from 5 since the contest started 16 years ago and accounting for the third most entered category.
Source: AP

We look forward to photographing many more award-winning Wisconsin Cheeses!