With a fourth win in its kitty, the top cheese has named Swiss Emmentaler at an international competition in Wisconsin, the Associated Press reported.
At the 2014 World Championship Cheese Contest, Cheesemaker Gerard Sinnesberger won the first place with his Original Schweizer Rohmilch Emmentaler, a large format, big wheel Swiss cheese.
In the final round of judging on Wednesday, the Emmentaler scored 97.85 out of possible 100 points. From 22 countries, the cheese was deemed the best of 2,615 entries.
Second place went to an entry from Australia, called Erzherzog Johann. Another Swiss entry, Gruyere AOP, was third, according to the AP.
"A U.S. cheesemaker hasn't won the contest sponsored by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association since 1988, according to the Wisconsin State Journal (https://bit.ly/1fJOEoe)," the AP reported.
Even though the top three winners wasn't occupied by America, it was still able to win 59 of the 90 categories judged. Americans also took the most of number of medals home.
While five gold medals went to Netherlands, seven gold medals were won by second-place Switzerland.
The AP continued, "Among U.S. contestants, Wisconsin dominated with 33 gold medals. Chief judge Bob Aschenbrock credited the quality of milk produced by Wisconsin farmers and work done by state agriculture officials and the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison."
"They've improved the milk supply immensely in the last 15 to 20 years. When I was making cheese back in the 1960s and 1970s, it was nothing like it is today. Everybody else follows our lead, basically," said Aschenbrock, a longtime cheesemaker.
Four Wisconsin cheese makers made it to the final round of competition: Brenda Jensen, of Hidden Springs Creamery in Westby, with a hard mixed milk cheese; Marieke Penterman, of Holland's Family Cheese in Thorp, with an aged Gouda; Katie Hedrich-Fuhrmann, of LaClare Farms in Malone, with a hard goat cheese; and Steve Bierhals, of BelGioioso Cheese in Green Bay, with a Parmesan, the AP reported.
With smoked Gouda last year at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in Green Bay, Holland's Family Cheese won best of show.
