Aged Lankaaster was named Grand Champion in the variety cheese competition at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair this week, continuing a streak of awards won by Eastern Ontario’s Glengarry Fine Cheese.

Cendre de Lune made by Quebec cheesemaker La Fromagerie du Village 1860 was named Reserve Champion.

Despite multiple entries from large cheese producers such as Saputo and Agropur, Quality Cheese of Vaughan, Ontario, collected the most first-place ribbons—four in all—with Zerto Fresh Mozzarella, Ricotta, Borgonzola and Burrata.

Perhaps as an indication of things to come, a new artisan cheesemaker, Primeridge Pure of Markdale, Ontario, won a second and a third with Grey Rush, a creamy dessert cheese.

The Grand Champion, Aged Lankaaster, is matured to a minimum of 10 months. Margaret Peters-Morris tells CheeseLover.ca. The cheese entered in the competition was made in June, 2010, therefore, it was 16 months mature.

Aged Lankaaster is a firm cheese, traditional rind, characteristic gouda “eyes” present,  paste is dark, laden with crystals, with lovely butterscotch, pineapple and lactic notes, the veteran cheesemakers says. This cheese lingers in one’s mouth and is very suitable to use as cheese to make any “gratin” in culinary preparations.

Here are the top three in the variety class of the annual competition:

Hard Parmesan, Grana, Romano, etc

1. Lankaaster – Aged,  Glengarry Fine Cheese
2. Quinte Crest, Fifth Town Artisan Cheese
3. Baby Parmesan, Silani

Pasta, Filata Mozzarella, Provolone, Scarmorze, etc

1. Zerto Fresh Mozzarella, Quality Cheese
2. Fior de latte, Quality Cheese
3. Tre Stelle Fiordi Latte, Arla Foods

Firm Brick, Colby, etc

1. Monterey Jack, Parmalat
2. Anco Creamy Havarti, Agropur Fine Cheese
3. Colby, Ivanhoe

Interior Ripened Edam, Gouda, Asiago

1. North Heaven,  Thornloe Cheese
2. Riviere Rouge, Agropur Fine Cheese

Surface Ripened Fontina, Oka, Munster, St. Paulin

1. La Sauvagine, Alexis de Portneuf
2. Cantolait, Fromagerie St Guillaume
3. Oka Raclette, Agropur Fine Cheese

Mold Ripened Brie, Camembert

1. Cendre de Lune, La Fromagerie du Village 1860
2. Rondoux Triple Creme, Agropur Fine Cheese
3. Camembert L’Extra, Agropur Fine Cheese

Unflavoured Fresh Cheese

1. Ricotta, Quality Cheese
2. Grey Rush,  Primeridge Pure
3. Anco plain, Agropur Fine Cheese

Flavoured Fresh Cheese

1. Delicreme Five Peppers, Agropur Fine Cheese
2. Delicreme Herbs and Garlic, Agropur Fine Cheese
3. Grey Rush – Herb Blend, Primeridge Pure

Blue Veined Cheese

1. Borgonzola, Quality Cheese
2. Castello Gorgonzola Cheese, Arla Foods
3. La Roche Noire, Alexis de Portneuf

Swiss Ementhal Cheese

1. Swiss Cheese, Fromagerie St Guillaume
2. Oka L’Artisan, Agropur Fine Cheese
3. Swiss Cheese, Farmers Dairy

Flavoured Cheese

1. Oka Mushrooms, Agropur Fine Cheese
2. Lankaaster Cumin Flavoured, Glengarry Fine Cheese
3. Chevalier Fine Herbs, Agropur Fine Cheese

Open Class

1. Burrata, Quality Cheese
2. La Tentation de Laurier, La Fromagerie du Village 1860
3. Allegro Camembert 16%, Agropur Fine Cheese

Any Cheese made with Sheep’s Milk

1. Wishing Tree, Fifth Town Artisan Cheese
2. Bonnie & Floyd, Fifth Town Artisan Cheese
3. Mouton Rouge, Best Baa Dairy

Feta

1. Feta in Brine, Black Diamond
2. Tre Stella Feta, Arla Foods
3. Anco Feta, Agropur Fine Cheese

Judges in the variety class: Thierry Martin and Jean-Jacques Turgeon

Sponsors: Gay Lea Foods Co-operative, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Canadian Cheese Society, Cargill, Central Ontario Cheese Makers, Parmalat, Jersey Canada, Continental Ingredients Canada, Ecolab, Empire Cheese.