Canadian cheesemakers won 30 ribbons in the 2013 American Cheese Society Judging & Competition in Madison, Wisconsin, in early August, competing against 1,794 cheeses submitted by 257 producers in the Americas—the largest competition in the history of the ACS.
Twenty-three of the 30 ribbons were won by 10 Québec cheesemakers, four being first-place ribbons, two for Agropur Fine Cheese and one each for Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser, represented by Fromages CDA, and La Moutonnière.
Two Ontario producers, Mariposa Dairy, represented by Finica Food Specialties, and Quality Cheese, won first-place ribbons as well.
Best of Show was won by Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont with the Winnimere, an extraordinary take on the French mountain classic Vachering Mont d’Or. Made with raw milk from the farm’s Ayrshire cows, Winnimere is wrapped in cambium cut from the spruce trees on the farm and washed in a beer from a neighbouring brewery. It’s available only January through June.
Here are the Canadian winners:
OPEN CATEGORY – FRESH UNRIPENED CHEESES – MADE FROM SHEEP’S MILK OR MIXED MILKS
1st Quality Cheese, Ontario
Buffalo Ricotta Bella Casara
3rd La Maison Alexis de Portneuf (Saputo), Québec
Chèvre des Neiges plain
BRIE – MADE FROM COW’S MILK
2nd Agropur Fine Cheese, Québec
Brie Normandie
CAMEMBERT – MADE FROM COW’S MILK
1st Agropur Fine Cheese, Québec
Camembert l’Extra
2nd Agropur Fine Cheese, Québec
Camembert Vaudreuil
TRIPLE CRÈME – SOFT RIPENED/CREAM ADDED – ALL MILKS
2nd Agropur Fine Cheese, Québec
Chevalier Triple Creme
3rd La Maison Alexis de Portneuf (Saputo), Québec
Saint-Honoré
OPEN CATEGORY – SOFT-RIPENED CHEESES – MADE FROM COW’S MILK
2nd Agropur Fine Cheese, Québec
Rondoux Double Crème
OPEN CATEGORY – SOFT-RIPENED CHEESES – MADE FROM GOAT’S MILK
3rd Upper Canada Cheese, Ontario
Nanny Noire
EMMENTAL-STYLE WITH EYE FORMATION (SWISS, BABY SWISS, BLOCKS, WHEELS) – MADE FROM COW’S MILK
1st Agropur Fine Cheese, Québec
Oka l’Artisan
3rd Fromagerie Abbaye Saint-Benoît-du-Lac (Fromages CDA), Québec
Le Frère Jacques
OPEN CATEGORY – AMERICAN MADE/INTERNATIONAL STYLE – MADE FROM GOAT’S MILK
3rd Fromagerie Bergeron, Québec
Patte Blanche
FRESH MOZZARELLA – 8 OZ. OR MORE (BALLS OR SHAPES) – ALL MILKS
2nd Quality Cheese, Ontario
Bella Casara Fior de Latte
3rd Quality Cheese, Ontario
Fresh Mozzarella Zerto
FETA – MADE FROM SHEEP’S MILK OR MIXED MILKS
2nd La Moutonniere, Québec
Feta
FAT FREE AND LOW FAT CHEESES
2nd Fromagerie Le Détour, Québec
La Dame du Lac
LIGHT/LITE AND REDUCED FAT CHEESES
1st Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser (Fromages CDA), Québec
L’Empereur Léger
FRESH UNRIPENED CHEESE WITH FLAVOR ADDED – ALL MILKS
3rd La Maison Alexis de Portneuf (Saputo), Québec
Chèvre des Neiges Fig and Orange
INTERNATIONAL-STYLE WITH FLAVOR ADDED – ALL MILKS
2nd Fromagerie Bergeron, Québec
Le Coureur des bois
HAVARTI WITH FLAVOR ADDED – ALL MILKS
2nd Agropur Fine Cheese, Québec
Havarti Jalapeno
REDUCED FAT CHEESE WITH FLAVOR ADDED – ALL MILKS
2nd Woolwich Dairy, Ontario
Woolwich Dairy Fresh Chèvre – Big Kick Herb & Garlic
SMOKED CHEDDARS – ALL MILKS
2nd COWS CREAMERY, Prince Edward Island
Applewood Smoked Cheddar
FRESH RINDLESS GOAT’S MILK CHEESE AGED 0 TO 30 DAYS (BLACK ASH COATING PERMITTED)
3rd Mariposa Dairy (Finica Food Specialties), Ontario
Celebrity International Goat Cheese Original
SHEEP’S MILK CHEESE AGED OVER 60 DAYS
1st Mariposa Dairy (Finica Food Specialties), Ontario
Tania
3rd Fromagerie Nouvelle France, Québec
Zacharie Cloutier
YOGURTS – PLAIN WITH NO ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS –MADE FROM COW’S MILK
3rd Beurrerie du Patrimoine, Québec
Plain Yogourt
BUTTER WITH OR WITHOUT CULTURES – MADE FROM GOAT’S, SHEEP’S OR MIXED MILKS
1st La Moutonniere, Québec
Ewes Butter
OPEN CATEGORY – WASHED RIND CHEESES – MADE FROM COW’S MILK
2nd La Fromagerie 1860 DuVillage (Saputo), Québec
Vacherin
3rd La Maison Alexis de Portneuf (Saputo), Québec
Le Reflet de Portneuf
OPEN CATEGORY – WASHED RIND CHEESES – MADE FROM GOAT’S MILK
2nd Fromagerie Le Détour, Québec
Sentinelle
Congratulations to all Canadian winners! They are shown below in alphabetical order with a summary of their winnings which accounted for 30 ribbons.
Agropur Fine Cheese
First-place – 2
Second-place – 5
Beurrerie du Patrimoine
Third-place – 1
Cows Creamery
Second-place – 1
Mariposa Dairty (Finica Food Specialties)
First-place – 1
Third-place – 1
Fromagerie Abbaye Saint-Benoît-du-Lac (Fromages CDA)
Third-place – 1
Fromagerie Bergeron
Second-place – 1
Third-place – 1
Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser (Fromages CDA)
First-place – 1
Fromagerie Le Détour
Second-place – 2
Fromagerie Nouvelle France
Third-place – 1
La Fromagerie 1860 DuVillage (Saputo)
Second-place – 1
La Maison Alexis de Portneuf (Saputo)
Third-place – 4
La Moutonniere
First-place – 1
Second-place – 1
Quality Cheese
First-place – 1
Second-place – 1
Third-place – 1
Upper Canada Cheese
Third-place – 1
Woolwich Dairy
Second-place – 1
The 2014 American Cheese Society Judging & Competition will be held in Sacramento, California.
