DAIRY FOODS EXTRA SIDEBAR
Congrats to the Top 20 cheeses
Made by the cheese team at Arethusa Farm Dairy, in Bantam, Conn., the aged gouda took top honors with a score of 98.89 out of 100 at the 2025 contest. The runner-up, St. Malachi Reserve (98.88), a gouda/Alpine hybrid from The Farm at Doe Run, in Coatesville, Pa., with second runner-up, Cello Organic Copper Kettle Parmesan from Schuman Cheese’s Lake Country Dairy team in Turtle Lake, Wis., garnering a 98.81.
In order of class numbers, the best-of-the-best cheese and dairies are:
Madison, Wis.-based Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA), organizer and host of the U.S. Cheese Competition, highlighted that the following cheeses were not only deemed by judges as the best in their respective classes, but also graded as the Top 20 entries overall at the competition.
Congrats to the Top 20 cheeses
Class 6: Traditional Waxed Cheddar, Mild to Medium
Cheese Name: Waxed Cheddar Medium
Maker: Adan Gonzalea
Company: Glanbia Nutritionals
Location: Twin Falls, Ida.
Class 8: Natural Rinded CheddarCheese
Name: Cabot Clothbound, Jasper Hill Farm
Maker: Cabot Cooperative Creamery
Company: Jasper Hill Farm
Location: Greensboro, Vt.
Class 12: Baby Swiss Style
Cheese Name: Ziller Wheel
Maker: Guggisberg
Company: Guggisberg Cheese
Location: Millersburg, Ohio
Class 21: Asiago
Cheese Name: Cello Asiago
Maker: Lake Country Dairy
Company: Lake Country Dairy/Schuman Cheese
Location: Turtle Lake, Wis.
Class 23: Parmesan
Cheese Name: Cello Organic Copper Kettle Parmesan (Winner!)
Maker: Lake Country Dairy
Company: Lake Country Dairy/Schuman Cheese
Location: Turtle Lake, Wis.
Class 29: Havarti
Cheese Name: Buholzer Brothers Havarti Cheese
Maker: Steve Bechtolt
Company: Klondike Cheese Co.
Location: Monroe, Wis.
Class 30: Havarti, Flavored
Cheese Name: Buholzer Brothers Dill Havarti Cheese
Maker: Dave Buholzer
Company: Klondike Cheese Co.
Location: Monroe, Wis.
Class 35: Open Class: Soft-Ripened Cheeses
Cheese Name: Hummingbird
Maker: Team Doe Run
Company: The Farm at Doe Run
Location: Coatesville, Pa.
Class 36: Edam & Gouda
Cheese Name: Lake Country Dairy Gouda
Maker: Lake Country Dairy
Company: Lake Country Dairy/Schuman Cheese
Location: Turtle Lake, Wis.
Class 37: Gouda, Aged
Cheese Name: Arethusa Europa (Winner!)
Maker: Arethusa Cheese Team
Company: Arethusa Farm Dairy
Location: Bantam, Ct.
Class 43: Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Soft Cheeses
Cheese Name: Willoughby
Maker: Soft Cheese Team
Company: Jasper Hill Farm
Location: Greensboro, Vt/
Class 44: Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Semi-soft Cheeses
Cheese Name: Hop Along
Maker: Cowgirl Creamery Cader Lane
Company: Cowgirl Creamery
Location: Petaluma, Calif.
Class 46: Raclette
Cheese Name: Reading
Maker: Spring Brook Farm Cheese Team
Company: Spring Brook Farm Cheese
Location: Reading, Vt.
Class 54: Open Class: Soft Cheeses, Flavored
Cheese Name: BelGioioso Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Basil, & Garlic Marinated
Maker: Trevor Tilot
Company: BelGioioso Cheese
Location: Denmark, Wis.
Class 58: Open Class: Hard Cheeses, Flavored
Cheese Name: Henning's Cheese Onion and Chive
Maker: Henning Cheese
Company: Henning Cheese
Location: Kiel, Wis.
Class 59: Open Class: Cheeses with Natural Rind
Cheese Name: St. Malachi Reserve (Winner!)
Maker: Team Doe Run
Company: The Farm at Doe Run
Location: Coatesville, Pa.
Class 60: Open Class: Smoked Soft & Semi-soft Cheeses
Cheese Name: Blue Spruce Blue
Maker: Carr Valley Cheese Company
Company: Carr Valley Cheese Company
Location: Linden, Wis.
Class 82: Soft-Ripened Goat's Milk Cheeses
Cheese Name: 1916
Maker: Wegmans Food Market & Vermont Creamery
Company: Wegmans Food Market
Location: Rochester, N.Y.
Class 87: Soft & Semi-soft Mixed Milk Cheeses
Cheese Name: Mobay
Maker: Carr Valley Cheese Company
Company: Carr Valley Cheese Company
Location: Mauston, Wis.
Class 89: Surface Ripened Mixed Milk Cheeses
Cheese Name: Springdell
Maker: Team Doe Run
Company: The Farm at Doe Run
Location: Coatesville, Pa.
The biennial U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, hosted by WCMA since 1981, is the nation's premier technical cheese, butter, cultured product, and dry dairy ingredient competition. For complete results for all entry classes, visit USChampionCheese.org.
Photos by Barbara Harfmann.