Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro took the top honor at the American Cheese Society’s annual competition, held this year in Louisville, Kentucky. Its Winnimere cheese was named best in show, the highest prize at the nation’s premier cheese judging event.
Winnimere is a seasonal, bark-wrapped, washed-rind cheese made from raw winter cow’s milk. Strips of spruce bark wrap the cheese, which is aged to a soft, spoonable texture with a rich, woodsy flavor.
The farm also earned several other ribbons. Moses Sleeper and Willoughby each took first place in their categories. Alpha Tolman placed third, and Murray’s Cheese Greensward, produced by Jasper Hill, finished second. A collaboration with Cabot Creamery Cooperative of Waitsfield, Cabot Clothbound Black Label, also earned first place.
Vermont cheesemakers overall brought home 54 awards across 15 producers, according to the Vermont Cheese Council, a nonprofit that supports the state’s cheesemaking community. The competition has been hosted by the American Cheese Society since 1983.
The Cheese Council noted that its entry fee reimbursement program helped encourage participation. The program covers entry fees up to a set amount to help cheesemakers showcase their products nationally.
Originally reported by Newport Dispatch.
Photo: Jonathan Borba via Pexels. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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