A trip to US Championship Cheese Contest

Arethusa Europa repeats as champion for its highly regarded aged gouda.

2025 Cheese Champion — The top three entries at the 2025 US Championship Cheese Contest were Arethusa Farm Dairy's Europa, center, The Farm at Doe Run's St. Malachi Reserve, left, and Schuman Cheese’s Cello Organic Copper Kettle Parmesan.
*Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association.*

When Dairy Foods headed off to Green Bay, Wis., on a snowy Tuesday in early March, I couldn’t envision how much fun I’d have attending my first cheese contest which was held March 4-6 at the Resch Expo. adjacent to Lambeau Field. Not only was there tons of cheese to sample, but there were Expert Judging Demonstrations, the chance to observe expert cheese judges in action, and, of course, the announcement of the winners of the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest on Thursday, March 6.

Organized and hosted biennially by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) since 1981, the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest is the largest technical cheese, butter, cultured product, and dry dairy ingredient competition in the nation. In 2025, the contest featured 2,414 entries from 31 states among the 117 classes of products.

For the first time in its history, the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest had a back-to-back champion in Arethusa Europe which took the top honor on March 6, 2025. The highly regarded aged gouda also snagged the top prize in 2023.

Made by the cheese team at Arethusa Farm Dairy, in Bantam, Conn., the aged gouda earned a score of 98.89 out of 100 at the 2025 contest.

That score was just enough to prevail over 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.

“The razor-thin margins that separated our contest finalists speak to the caliber of US cheesemakers’ talent,” said John Umhoefer, WMCA’s Executive Director. “Congratulations go to the team at Arethusa Farm Dairy, and praise is in order for all our competitors’ commitment to excellence in the art and science of cheesemaking.”

With an impressive 55 Best of Class finishes, cheesemakers from Wisconsin earned the highest number of gold medals. Second in that ranking is Vermont, earning 13 first-place medals. Idaho cheesemakers earned third place, taking home the gold in ten classes, according to the WCMA. (See sidebar for Top 20 entries and the dairies who crafted the winning varieties).

WCMA Executive Director John Umhoefer, far left, with red-caped judges, front row, l. to r., Assistant Chief Judge Stan Dietsche, Assistant Chief Judge Sandy Toney, and Assistant Chief Judge Mariana Marques de Almeida. Back row, l. to r., Assistant Chief Judge John Jaeggi, Director of Logistics Randy Swensen and Chief Judge Jim Mueller.

Photo by Barbara Harfmann.

Education is a big part of the cheese contest. Attending their first cheese event, Dale and Diane Fidler, of Denmark, Wis., learned about the free event on TV. They were pleasantly surprised that there were so many samples, spreads and crackers to try and savor. They attested to the creaminess of the flavored Dill Havarti from Meister Cheese in Muscoda, Wis., and loved the Pine River Garden Vegetable Cold Pack Spread made by Pine River Dairy so much that they vowed it would be on their future purchase list.

Standing by the Pine River display was their Brand Ambassador Mary Lindemann who noted that the Manitowoc, Wis.-based dairy makes butter, curds and strings, chunked cheese and dozens of cheese spreads including a Horseradish Cheese Spread, an Aged Asiago Cheese Spread and a Garlic & Herb Cheese Spread. The dairy store also offers ice cream cones for 50 cents.

Robust sales interest, victories that result in enhanced marketing, a boost to staff morale and interest in the “craft” nature of a cheesemaking career are among the reasons cheese contests are held, WCMA states.

Perhaps most importantly, though, entries receive a third-party analysis from expert cheese judges. As Dairy Foods learned from Sarah Guttmann, licensed cheese grader at Masters Gallery Foods in Plymouth, Wis., the “cheese capital of the world,” cheese is graded on a 100-point scale based on Appearance, Body/Texture and Flavor.

Gutmann also served as master of ceremonies during an Expert Judging Demonstration where fifth-generation cheesemaker Darrell Demeter of Arla Foods and Hollandtown Dairy, and Jim Jirschele, Master Cheesemaker in Feta at Masters Gallery Foods, explained the nuances of several different varieties of cheese.

Two judges per class judge each cheese. Expert judges Jill Allen, R&D Director of Product Excellence at Tillamook County Creamery Association, and Laura Laehn, Director of Grading and Cheese Quality at Masters Gallery Foods, were paired together for this year’s contest.

Photo by Barbara Harfmann.

To add to one’s cheese acumen, attendees received samples of each cheese and were encouraged to touch and smell it before tasting. They also asked lots of questions.

For example, in introducing class 13 Swiss style cheeses that have been aged 60 days or more (before Dec. 21, 2014), Demeter and Jirschele explained that this cheese characteristic is sweet, acetic acid with a nutty to creamy finish profile. The body will be firm and pliable with uniform eye formation.

“The acidity drives moisture out of the cheese,” Jirschele states. ”And while Swiss cheese can be found in both block and wheel shapes, rindless blocks, especially for the foodservice industry, are more functional and provide easier handling and yield.”

Held twice a day, the demonstrations were part of the program for only the second time in WCMA’s contest history, getting its start at World’s in Madison, Wis., in 2024, explained Danica Nilsestuen, WCMA’s director of sustainability and grants.

Attending their first cheese contest, Dale and Diane Fidler, of Denmark, Wis., learned about the event on TV and were pleasantly surprised that there tons of samples to try.

Photo by Barbara Harfmann.

At the end of the demonstration, as Guttmann greeted familiar faces with hugs, she explained, ”Although this is a cheese competition, we all care about each other. It’s a very tight-knit group. And we at Masters purchase a lot of cheese from these people.”

Technically proficient judging is what Jill Allen, R&D Director of Product Excellence at Tillamook County Creamery, and Laura Laehn, Director of Grading and Cheese Quality at Masters Gallery Foods, literally bring to the table.

Allen has been a cheese judge since 2012, while Laehn is in her eighth year working as a judge. She noted that most cheese judges start off judging at State Fairs before moving up to U.S. and World championship cheese contests.

While both expressed how much the love judging cheese, the one drawback is “maintaining a poker face since sometimes the producers of the cheese are watching and observing the judging,” they said. “We take this job seriously because we’re looking for the top-quality cheese.”

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.

Photo by Barbara Harfmann.

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.

In order of class numbers, the best-of-the-best cheese and dairies are:

Class 6: Traditional Waxed Cheddar, Mild to Medium
Cheese Name: Waxed Cheddar Medium
Maker: Adan Gonzalea
Company: Glanbia Nutritionals
Location: Twin Falls, Idaho

Class 8: Natural Rinded Cheddar
Cheese 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 (Winner!)
Maker: Lake Country Dairy
Company: Lake Country Dairy/Schuman Cheese
Location: Turtle Lake, Wis.

Class 23: Parmesan
Cheese Name: Cello Organic Copper Kettle Parmesan
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.

Photo by Barbara Harfmann.

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.

Photo by Barbara Harfmann.

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 Co.
Company: Carr Valley Cheese Co.
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 Co.
Company: Carr Valley Cheese Co.
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. https://uschampioncheese.org/

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Barbara Harfmann, managing editor of Dairy Foods, has 30 years of experience in trade journalism, nonprofit, and other professional writing. She writes for Dairy Foods’ eMagazine and website, delivering must-have information to dairy processors. Barbara also hosts industry-related podcasts and represents the magazine at trade shows and events. She earned a Bachelor of Science in mass communications and public relations from Illinois State University.