Agropur, Awards, Fromagerie Abbaye St-Benoit, Fromagerie Féodal, Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser, La Fromagerie 1860 DuVillage, La Fromagerie Alexis de Portneuf, Saputo

Quebec cheesemakers score at World Cheese Awards

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Cornish Blue: Judged the best cheese in the world in 2010.

Four artisan cheesemakers from Quebec as well as Canadian cheese giants Saputo and Agropur medalled in the World Cheese Awards last week, the largest cheese competition on the planet. Hosted at the BBC Good Food Show in the U.K., 201 judges from 19 different countries judged 2,629 cheeses from 29 countries. Louis Aird of Saputo was the sole Canadian judge.

Louis Aird of Saputo: Judge at the World Cheese Awards.

Cornish Blue brought the World Champion Cheese title back to the U.K., being the first British cheese honoured in more than a decade. Here are the Canadian winners, starting with the four Quebec artisan cheesemakers entered by their distributor, Fromages CDA:

 

Le Moutier

Hard goats’ milk cheese plain
Gold medal: Le Moutier ~ Fromagerie de L’Abbaye St Benoit

Rind washed cheese not in any other class
Silver Medal: La Mont Jacob ~ Fromagerie Blackburn

Rind washed cheese not in any other class
Bronze medal: Guillaume Tell ~ Fromagerie Féodal

Cheese made with the milk of more than one animal
Bronze medal: Soeur Angéle ~ Fromagerie Kaiser

—

 

La Sauvagine

Rind washed cheese not in any other class
Super Gold medal: La Sauvagine ~ Saputo/Alexis de Portneuf

Brie made from pasteurized milk
Silver medal: Cendré de Lune ~ Saputo/duVillage 1860

All other new cheeses. Open to any new cheese first marketed after 01/10/09
Bronze medal: Tentation de Laurier ~ Saputo

White mold ripened soft or unpressed cows’ milk cheese with savoury additives
Bronze medal: Lady Laurier d’Arthabaska ~ Saputo/du Village 1860

Soft goats’ milk cheese plain – mold-ripened
Bronze medal: Le Cendrillon ~ Saputo/Alexis de Portneuf

Brie made from pasteurized milk
Bronze medal: Saint-Honoré ~ Saputo/Alexis de Portneuf

Blue vein cheese any variety, uncut, natural rind
Bronze medal: Bleubry ~ Saputo/Alexis de Portneuf

—

 

Camembert L'Extra

Camembert made from pasteurized milk
Gold medal: Camembert l’Extra ~ Agropur

Cheese made with the milk of more than one animal
Silver medal: Vaudreuil mi-vache/mi-chêvre ~ Agropur

New Cheese – hard or semi-hard. Open to any new cheese first marketed after 01/10/09
Silver medal: Rivière Rouge ~Agropur

Ricotta
Bronze medal: Ricotta Prestigio ~ Agropur

For a list of U.S. winners, visit Cheesemonger’s Weblog.

The World Cheese Awards has been bringing together buyers and sellers from the dairy industry worldwide for 20 years. The BBC Good Food Show is the biggest and most cosmopolitan cheese festival ever staged in the U.K.,, with almost 100,000 consumers tasting cheese after the international panel of experts completed their judging.

—Rebecca Crosgrey

Rebecca Crosgrey is Event Co-Ordinator at The Great Canadian Cheese Festival. She patrols the Web for cheese news for CheeseLover.ca.

Agropur, Awards, Bonnie & Floyd, Fifth Town Artisan Cheese, Fromagerie Perron, Oka, Quality Cheese

Lunch of champions for Festival worker bees

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There was a planning session for The Great Canadian Cheese Festival scheduled over lunch for the week following the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. When the question came up, “What shall we eat?” the answer was a no-brainer: “Let’s sample the champions and winners in the Royal’s cheese competition.”

Thus, it came to pass that we had one champion and five winners spread out before us on Friday, as you can see in the photo. We would have liked more champions but only Oka L’Artisan was available at St. Lawrence Market.

You’ll note the lack of wine glasses. After all, it was a working lunch. Just cheese, with sides of charcuterie, walnuts, grapes, bread, and, in the front right, Bleu d’Auvergne from France for dessert.

Here’s how the three of us informally ranked the award-winning Canadian cheese we tasted:

Cheddar, 5 year, Fromagerie Perron, $2.39/100g

Outstanding! If this what a cheddar that wasn’t even entered tastes like, we cannot wait to get our hands on Perron’s Doyen, Grand Champion, and 120th Anniverdsary Reserve, Reserve Champion.

Fromagerie Perron definitely will be on our list of cheesemakers to visit when we next travel on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. Fromagerie Perron is located on Lac Saint Jean in the Saguenay region.

Champfleury, Agropur, $4.00/100g

It didn’t take us long to consume the entire small wheel of Champfleury. We loved the fruity creaminess of this washed-rind soft cheese but were stunned afterward to read on the label that modified milk ingredients (MMI) are used in making the cheese.

Champfleury is marketed as an “authentic fine cheese” in the Agropur Signature collection. Hmmm . . .

Bonnie & Floyd, Fifth Town Artisan Cheese, $7.69/100g

No MMIs come anywhere near this excellent cave-aged sheep cheese made in Prince Edward County by the greenest creamery in Canada.

Oka L’Artisan, Agropur, $3.58/100g

No longer made by Trappist monks but still one of Canada’s most recognizable and noteworthy cheeses. Agropur cheesemakers make the cheese in the former Cistercian abbey. Whether the recipe is the original is arguable.

Cape Vessey, Fifth Town Artisan Cheese, $6.99/100g

Goat’s milk does have it distinctive lemony tang but Fifth Town has earned many awards with this washed-rind cave-aged cheese that has broad appeal.

Chevrita, Agropur

Snow white and satin-like to the touch, Chevrita is pure goat cheese.

Agropur, Awards, Fifth Town Artisan Cheese, Fromagerie Perron, Glengarry Fine Cheese, Parmalat, Quality Cheese

Oka, Woolwich and Perron judged Grand Champions at the Royal

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Fromagerie Perron produces the 2010 Grand and Reserve Champions of cheddars in Canada.

Here are the winners in the cheese competition at Royal Agricultural Winter Fair which runs in Toronto this week until Sunday.

Agropur and Parmalat, Canada’s two giant cheese producers, dominated the results with six wins apiece but relatively tiny Fifth Town Artisan Cheese and Glengarry Fine Cheese, with five and three wins each, garnered more than their share of honours.

Fromagerie Perron dominated the cheddar cheese judging. Quality Cheese had four wins including a first for its new Water Buffalo Mozzarella.

VARIETY CHEESE – 95 entries – Judges: Thierry Martin and Jean-Jacques Turgeon

GRAND CHAMPION: OKA L’Artisan ~ Agropur Fine Cheese

RESERVE CHAMPION: Cendré De Lune ~ Fromagerie 1860 DuVillage

HARD – PARMESAN, GANA, ROMANO, ETC ~ 1st – Extra Aged Lankaaster ~ Glengarry Fine Cheese ~ Wilma Klein Swormink, Marie-Benedicte Pretty, Margaret Peters-Morris, cheesemakers

Giuseppe Garsito: Buratta and Buffalo Mozzarella cheesemaker at Quality Cheese.

PASTA, FILATA – BOCCONCHINI, MOZZARELLA, CACIOCAVALLO, PROVOLONE, CACIOTTA ~ 1st – Water Buffalo Mozzarella ~ Quality Cheese

FIRM – BRICK, COLBY, ETC ~ 1st – Black Diamond American Mozzarella~ Parmalat Canada

Glengarry cheesemakers: Marie-Benedicte Pretty, Wilma Klein Swormink, Margaret Peters-Morris. Photo by André Dumont/AGRICOM

INTERIOR RIPENED – EDAM, GOUDA, ASIAGO ~ 1st – Lankaaster Medium~ Glengarry Fine Cheese ~ Wilma Klein Swormink, Marie-Benedicte Pretty, Margaret Peters-Morris, cheesemakers

SURFACE RIPENED – FONTINA, OKA, MUNSTER, ST PAULIN ~ 1st – Champfleury ~ Agropur Fine Cheese

MOLD RIPENED – BRIE, CAMEMBERT ~ 1st – Cendré De Lune ~ Fromagerie 1860 DuVillage

Ema Tema: Ricotta cheesemaker at Quality Cheese.
Marcelo Lozano: Ricotta cheesemaker at Quality Cheese.

UNFLAVOURED FRESH CHEESE ~ 1st – Ricotta Cheese ~ Quality Cheese

FLAVOURED FRESH CHEESE ~ 1st – Délicreme Ail et Fines Herbes~ Agropur Fine Cheese

BLUE VEINED CHEESE ~ 1st – La Roche Noire ~ La Fromagerie Alexis de Portneuf

SWISS OR EMENTHAL CHEESE ~ 1st – OKA L`Artisan ~ Agropur Fine Cheese

FLAVOURED CHEESE ~ 1st – Flavoured Lankaaster Chive ~ Glengarry Fine Cheese ~ Wilma Klein Swormink, Marie-Benedicte Pretty, Margaret Peters-Morris, cheesemakers

Dipesh (Dan) Patel: Buratta and Buffalo Mozzarella cheesemaker at Quality Cheese.

OPEN CLASS ~ 1st – Bella Casara -Burrata Cheese ~ Quality Cheese

ANY CHEESE MADE WITH SHEEP’S MILK ~ 1st – Bonnie & Floyd ~ Fifth Town Artisan Cheese ~ Stephanie Diamant, cheesemaker

FETA _ 1st – 3 kg Black Diamond Feta in brine ~ Black Diamond

GOAT CHEESE – 29 entries – Judges: Thierry Martin and Jean-Jacques Turgeon

GRAND CHAMPION: Woolwich Dairy Elite Roasted Red Pepper ~ Woolwich Dairy

RESERVE CHAMPION: Premium Goat Milk Cheddar ~ Fifth Town Artisan Cheese ~ Stephanie Diamant, cheesemaker

HARD – PARMESAN, GRANA, ROMANO ~ 1st – Charlton ~ Thornloe Cheese

FIRM – CHEDDAR, MOZZARELLA, CAPRANO ~ 1st – Premium Goat Milk Cheddar ~ Fifth Town Artisan Cheese ~ Stephanie Diamant, cheesemaker

Fil Dutra is a member of the award-winning cheesemaker team at Woolwich Dairy.

INTERIOR RIPENED – GOUDA, FRIULAN, MANCHEGO, ETC ~ 1st – Woolwich Dairy Goats Milk Feta ~ Woolwich Dairy

SURFACE RIPENED – OKA STYLE, ST PAULIN, TILST, ETC ~ 1st – Cape Vessey ~ Fifth Town Artisan Cheese ~ Stephanie Diamant, cheesemaker

MOLD RIPENED – BRIE, CAMEMBERT, TRE FRATELLO, ETC ~ 1st – Chevrita ~ Agropur Fine Cheese

UNFLAVOURED FRESH-CREAM CHEESE, GHAGE, QUARK, ETC ~ 1st – River’s Edge Chevre ~ River’s Edge Goat Dairy

FLAVOURED FRESH CHEESE ~ 1st – Woolwich Dairy Elite Roasted Red Pepper ~ Woolwich Dairy

Thornloe cheesemakers: Laurent Jubinville (left), John Leveille and Denis Jubinville.

BLUE VEINED CHEESE ~ 1st – Harley Goat Blue Cheese ~ Thornloe Cheese

FLAVOURED CHEESE – SMOKED, JALAPENO ~ 1st – Applewood Smoked Premium Goat Milk Cheddar ~ Fifth Town Artisan Cheese ~ Stephanie Diamant, cheesemaker

INNOVATION – MIXED MILK CHEESE ~ 1st – Doucerel ~ Agropur Fine Cheese

CHEDDAR CHEESE – 36 entries – Judges: Norm Matte and Gilles Sabourin

GRAND CHAMPION: Doyen ~ Fromagerie Perron ~ Stephane Marchand, cheesemaker.

RESERVE CHAMPION: 120th Anniversary Reserve ~ Fromagerie Perron ~ Stephane Marchand, cheesemaker.

THE SILVER TRIER AWARD/Highest aggregate score for cheddar cheese: Parmalat Canada

EXTRA MATURE CHEDDAR 24 MONTHS OR LONGER ~ 1st – Perron Doyen ~ Fromagerie Perron ~ Stephane Marchand, cheesemaker.

MATURE CHEDDAR – 12-24 MONTHS ~ 1st – 120th Anniversary Reserve ~ Fromagerie Perron ~ Stephane Marchand, cheesemaker.

MEDIUM CHEDDAR – 6-8 MONTHS ~ 1st – Medium Cheddar ~ Fromagerie Perron ~ Stephane Marchand, cheesemaker.

MILD CHEDDAR – 2-4 MONTHS ~ 1st – Balderson Mild ~ Parmalat Canada

EXTRA MILD CHEDDAR – 1-2 MONTHS ~ 1st – Balderson Extra Mild ~ Parmalat Canada

MARBLE CHEDDAR – ANY AGE ~ 1st – Balderson Marble ~ Parmalat Canada

STILTON SHAPED CHEDDAR – TWO COLOURED OR WHITE ~ 1st – Black Diamond Cheddar ~ Parmalat Canada

Complete results are posted at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair website.

Agropur, Awards, Cheddar, Gruyere, La Sauvagine, Saint-Honore, Saputo

Swiss Gruyere named best-of-show at World Championship

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And the winner is . . . Gruyere AOC from Switzerland!

The two largest Canadian cheese producers won all five of Canada’s gold medals in the 2010 World Championship Cheese Contest held in Madison, Wisconsin.

Saputo Dairy Products Canada won three golds while Agropur Cooperative garnered a pair.

Twenty countries entered 2,318 cheeses in the competition. The U.S. swept the lion’s share of gold medals. Canada and the Netherlands tied for second with five golds apiece. Best-of-show honors went to a Gruyere made by Fromagerie de La Brévine in Switzerland.

The Canadian cheeses awarded golds are:

Rindless Swiss-style cheese – La Fromagerie, Saputo Dairy Products Canada of Saint-Laurent, Quebec. The Cogruet scored 99.15 out of a possible 100 points.

Camembert and other surface-ripened cheeses – La Maison Alexis de Portneuf, Saputo Dairy Products Canada, Saint-Laurent, Quebec. The Saint-Honore scored 98.95.

Smear-ripened soft cheese – La Maison Alexis de Portneuf, Saputo Dairy Products Canada won again for it’s Le Sauvagine scoring 99.45.

Cheddar, Mild – Agropur Cooperative of Bon-Conseil, Quebec. Its cheddar scored a 99.45.

Cheddar, Sharp – Agropur Cooperative, Bon-Conseil, Quebec. An older cheddar scored 99.5.

Judges at work at the Worlds.

Saputo Dairy Products Canada was founded in 1954 in Montreal by an immigrant Italian family headed by cheesemaker Giuseppe Saputo. It processes 6 billion litres of milk annually in 46 plants in Canada, the U.S., Argentina, Germany and the United Kingdom, with 26 plants in Canada. Saputo products are sold in more than 40 countries under brand names such as Saputo, Alexis de Portneuf, Armstrong, Baxter, Dairyland, Danscorella, De Lucia, Dragone, DuVillage 1860, Frigo Cheese Heads, Kingsey, La Paulina, Neilson, Nutrilait, Ricrem, Stella, Treasure Cave, HOP&GO!, Rondeau and Vachon.

Founded in Quebec in 1938, Agropur Cooperative has 3,533 members and 5,225 employees at 27 plants and distribution centres and offices across Canada, the U.S. and Argentina. It processes 3.1 billion litres of milk on an annualized basis and offers products such as Québon, Oka, Sealtest, Natrel, Island Farms, Yoplait, La Lacteo, Trega and Schroeder.