MADISON, Wis. — A Swiss Emmentaler has been named the top cheese at
an international competition in Wisconsin, handing the nation its
fourth win in the past five years.
Cheesemaker Gerard Sinnesberger took top honors at the 2014 World
Championship Cheese Contest with his Original Schweizer Rohmilch
Emmentaler, a large format, big wheel Swiss cheese.
Out of possible 100 points, the Emmentaler scored 97.85 in the
final round of judging Wednesday. The cheese was deemed the best of
2,615 entries from 22 countries.
An Austrian entry, called Erzherzog Johann, was second. Another
Swiss entry, Gruyere AOP, was third.
A U.S. cheesemaker hasn't won the contest sponsored by the
Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association since 1988, according to the
Wisconsin State Journal (http://bit.ly/1fJOEoe).
Although Americans weren't in the top three this year, they took
home the most medals, winning 59 of the 90 categories judged.
Switzerland came in second with seven gold medals, while the
Netherlands had five.
Among U.S. contestants, Wisconsin dominated with 33 gold medals.
Chief judge Bob Aschenbrock credited the quality of milk produced
by Wisconsin farmers and work done by state agriculture officials
and the Center for Dairy Research at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison.
"They've improved the milk supply immensely in the last 15 to 20
years. When I was making cheese back in the 1960s and 1970s, it was
nothing like it is today. Everybody else follows our lead,
basically," said Aschenbrock, a longtime cheesemaker.
Four Wisconsin cheese makers made it to the final round of
competition: Brenda Jensen, of Hidden Springs Creamery in Westby,
with a hard mixed milk cheese; Marieke Penterman, of Holland's
Family Cheese in Thorp, with an aged Gouda; Katie Hedrich-Fuhrmann,
of LaClare Farms in Malone, with a hard goat cheese; and Steve
Bierhals, of BelGioioso Cheese in Green Bay, with a Parmesan.
Holland's Family Cheese won best of show with a smoked Gouda last
year at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in Green Bay. The
national and international competitions are held in alternate
years.
