Nine of the top 20 cheeses honored at this year’s U.S. Championship Cheese Contest hailed from Wisconsin, but it was a Connecticut-made aged gouda that took home the top prize Thursday at the Resch Expo in Green Bay.
Arethusa Europa, made by Arethusa Farm Dairy in Bantam, Connecticut, claimed a second-straight title, marking the first repeat win in the competition’s 44-year history. The victory came by just one hundredth of a point ahead of first runner-up The Farm at Doe Run (Coatesville, Pennsylvania). Second runner-up was claimed by Lake Country Dairy (Turtle Lake, Wisconsin).
“The razor-thin margins that separated our contest finalists speak to the caliber of U.S. cheesemakers’ talent. 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,” said John Umhoefer, executive director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA).
A total of 31 U.S. states were represented in the 2025 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, which has been hosted biennially since 1981 by WCMA, with entries submitted across 117 classes.
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 fared third-best, taking home the gold in 10 classes.
Two Northeast Wisconsin cheesemakers were among the 20 finalists for the grand prize, including BelGioioso (Denmark) for its Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Basil and Garlic Marinated in Class 54 (Soft Cheeses, Flavored) and Henning Cheese (Kiel) for its Cheese Onion and Chive in Class 58 (Hard Cheeses, Flavored).
Other gold medalists from the New North region included:
- Henning, in two other categories: Traditional Waxed Cheddar, Sharp to Aged (7) and Pepper Flavored Cheese, High Heat (52)
- BelGioioso Cheese (Byron), Aged Provolone (19)
- Pine River Pre-Pack, Inc. (Newton), Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread (75)
- LeClare Creamery (Malone), Soft Goat’s Milk Cheeses (77)
- Saputo Cheese USA (Black Creek), Hard Goat’s Milk Cheeses (81)
- Great Lakes Cheese (Plymouth), Natural Snack Cheese (102)
- Masters Gallery Foods (Plymouth), shredded cheeses
- Sartori Company (Plymouth), Cheese Based Spreads (109)
The U.S. Championship Cheese Contest is the largest technical dairy products evaluation in the nation. Complete results are available at USChampionCheese.org.
