Two Wisconsin cheesemakers were honored this month in separate cheese competitions. For the third time in as many years, a mild Cheddar made by Associated Milk Producers Inc. cheesemakers at the co-op’s Sanborn, Iowa, plant topped its class in the World Dairy Expo competition. Cheeses made in the co-op's Wisconsin plants also won awards.

Satori’s SarVecchio Parmesan was named Best USA Cheese and Best Non-European Cheese at the Global Cheese Awards. Sartori is based in Plymouth, Wis.

(Wisconsin cheeses also fared well in the American Cheese Society competition, as reported earlier.)

Saxon Cheese LLC, Cleveland, Wis., was selected as the Cheese and Butter Grand Champion in the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest sponsored by the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association. Download a list of all the winners here.

AMPI wins 9 awards for cheeses, whey at the World Dairy Expo contest

AMPI’s three-peat is unprecedented in the highly competitive class that is part of the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest. An entry in the same class from the co-op’s Blair, Wis., plant placed second.

AMPI is headquartered in New Ulm, Minn. It ranks No. 24 on the Dairy 100 list of the largest dairy processors in North America.

“Earning this award again, and receiving the top two spots in the class from two different locations, speaks volumes about the consistent quality of AMPI cheese,” said Mike Wolkow, vice president of operations for the Midwest dairy cooperative.

Dairy products made in AMPI’s dairy processing plants captured nine of the top awards presented at the competition. The 2016 contest attracted a record 1,130 entries.

AMPI-made unflavored pasteurized process cheese entries swept their category with a 1-2-3 finish. For a second consecutive year, judges also presented a first-place honor to AMPI’s flavored pasteurized process blend of Monterey Jack and American cheese with red bell and jalapeno peppers. All of these award-winning process cheeses were made at AMPI’s Portage, Wis., plant.

An AMPI entry also won the first-place award in the Colby and Monterey Jack category for a Colby Jack cheese made at the cooperative’s Jim Falls, Wis., facility.

Whey protein concentrate manufactured at the cooperative’s Paynesville, Minn., plant captured first place in the 34 percent class and second place in the 80 percent competition. Dried sweet whey made at Jim Falls was awarded third place in the whey category.

AMPI’s first-place dairy products will be auctioned off Oct. 4 at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. A portion of the auction proceeds fund scholarships for students pursuing careers in the dairy industry.

Sartori’s cheese is Best USA and Best Non-European in the Global Cheese Awards

Sartori, based in Plymouth, Wis., received 11 awards at the Global Cheese Awards in Frome, England. Its SarVecchio Parmesan was named Best USA Cheese and Best Non-European Cheese.

The contest received more than 1,000 entries from across the globe. Download the complete lislt of winners from the 2016 Global Cheese Awards.

BellaVitano Gold and Classic Parmesan were also honored, receiving gold medals in their respective categories. Sartori's newest release, the south-of-the-border inspired Chipotle BellaVitano, earned a silver medal.

Sartori ranks No. 74 on the Dairy 100.