{"id":47080,"date":"2024-02-05T16:25:20","date_gmt":"2024-02-05T21:25:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=47080"},"modified":"2024-02-05T16:25:57","modified_gmt":"2024-02-05T21:25:57","slug":"how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make an Award-Winning Cheese Plate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The origin of winning awards dates back to Greece and Rome (Olympics, anyone?), and in America, the history of receiving medals of recognition began with George Washington honoring soldiers for their service in the Revolutionary War. You\u2019d be hard pressed to find a field without accolades, and the cheese industry is no exception. Whole Foods Market\u2019s Ambassador of Food Culture (former Vice President of Specialty and Global Cheese Expert) Cathy Strange<\/a> is no stranger to award winning, either. She\u2019s judged a host of competitions and has received many honors, including the first American awarded the \u201cColtellino d\u2019oro\u201d or \u201cGolden Knife\u201d from the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium in 2014. Strange was one of 42 expert judges at the 2023 US Championship Cheese Competition<\/a>, a biennial technical competition for cheese, butter, and yogurt established by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association in 1981. \u201cThe opportunity to judge with amazing professionals is always an incredible experience,\u201d Strange says. \u201cEvery event is special in so many ways.\u201d Europa, an aged gouda-style cheese from Arethusa Farm Dairy won the 2023 US Champion title with an exceptional 98.739 out of 100, narrowly followed by Red Barn Family Farms\u2019 Vintage Cupola at 98.613. \u201cI was impressed by the Europa last year for being a first-time entry,\u201d Strange says. \u201cThe cheesemaker was able to leverage experience from Wisconsin and translate it to the new production facility and a different milk source, and the result was a winning cheese. I still have a visceral memory of the flavor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout her career, Strange has noted a shift in styles of award-winning cheeses, too. \u201cThe washed, soft-ripened cheeses that are matured and\/or washed with specifically selected beers\/ wines\/brines have been spectacular!\u201d she notes. \u201cArtisanal cheesemakers continue to innovate and push boundaries in a great way.\u201d And there are many success stories of how awards can launch a maker\u2019s brand. Strange remembers both LaClare Creamery<\/a> and Marieke Gouda\u2019s<\/a> US Cheese Championship wins from 2011 and 2013, respectively. At that time, LaClare\u2019s Katie Fuhrmann was the youngest cheesemaker to win the prestigious award for her goat\u2019s milk gouda-style Evalon. Marieke Penterman has collected numerous championship wins for her goudas since opening her creamery in 2007, however her most notable accolade was winning the US Champion title in 2013. \u201cDan Carter introduced me to this special cheese in LaCrosse at the championships and I predicted one day Marieke would win,\u201d Strange says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though debated, awards are important. They can propel brands into stardom and validate hard work and passion, and awards bring folks together, providing a sense of celebration and tradition that sparks innovation and collaboration. Entering competitions also allows makers an opportunity to gauge which areas they should improve and helps benchmark excellence and quality of their products. Strange observes, \u201cUS cheesemakers are innovative, dedicated, and have can-do attitudes that drive them to create. They collaborate and inspire each other to be better every day, which is appreciated by cheesemakers around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are five award-winning pairings curated by our team. Cheeses have won Gold at the 2023 US Championship Cheese Contest, and corresponding accompaniments have won 2023 Good Food Awards in various categories.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

GOAT RODEO FARM & DAIRY HOOTENANNY<\/a><\/strong> + Patti\u2019s Rosemary Roasted Nuts<\/strong>
Origin: Allison Park, Pa. Milk: Pasteurized Goat<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Made from spring and summer goat\u2019s milk, Hootenanny tastes like wildflowers and mildly sweet pecans. Draw out those floral notes by pairing this supple wedge with an array of almonds, cashews, pecans, and walnuts tossed in rosemary with a hint of cayenne heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

REDHEAD CREAMERY LUCKY LINDA CLOTHBOUND CHEDDAR<\/strong><\/a> + Creo Chocolate Caramelized Milk Chocolate Bar<\/strong>
Origin: Brooten, Minn. Milk: Pasteurized Cow <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This hearty cheddar is earthy and savory with a smooth finish, yielding nutty notes of chocolate. Pair with Creo\u2019s warm and buttery milk chocolate confection for a comforting and crowd-pleasing combo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JACOBS & BRICHFORD CHEESE BRIANA<\/a><\/strong> + Smoking Goose Saucisson Rouge<\/strong>
Origin: Connersville, Ind. Milk: Raw Cow<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like an Italian-style Alpine cheese, washed- rind Briana is mildly pungent with herby notes of f resh f ruit. For unique twist, combine this smooth and slightly pudgy cheese with a sturdy, flavor- packed salame such as Saucisson Rouge f rom Smoking Goose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RED BARN FAMILY FARMS VINTAGE CUPOLA<\/strong> <\/a>+ Monkey Brittle<\/strong>
Origin: Appleton, Wis. Milk: Raw Cow<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crispy, snackable, banana- nut-bread-like crisps + smooth, tropically, caramelly cheese = your next dessert replacement. With just three ingredients (nuts, bananas, and raisins), organic Monkey Brittle is the ideal crunchy base to top with Cupola, a handcrafted, raw-milk parmesan\/gouda hybrid with hints of nuts and pineapple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ARETHUSA FARM DAIRY EUROPA<\/strong><\/a> + Blake Hill Preserves Fresh Tomato Savory Jam<\/strong>
Origin: Bantam, Conn. Milk: Pasteurized Cow<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A riff on Dutch Gouda, Europa smells like butterscotch and toasty nuts and tastes like a melty umami bomb. Upgrade this award-winning stunner with sweet and savory tomato jam f rom Blake Hill Preserves for a chewy bite reminiscent of Neapolitan pizza.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Five award-winning pairings curated by the culture team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":47081,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"coauthors":[33807],"class_list":["post-47080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Make an Award-Winning Cheese Plate - culture: the word on cheese<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Make an Award-Winning Cheese Plate\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Five award-winning pairings curated by the culture team.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"culture: the word on cheese\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-02-05T21:25:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-02-05T21:25:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/BestCheeses2023_CheesePlate_USChampionshipCheese.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1306\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mallory Scyphers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mallory Scyphers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/\",\"name\":\"How to Make an Award-Winning Cheese Plate - culture: the word on cheese\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/BestCheeses2023_CheesePlate_USChampionshipCheese.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-02-05T21:25:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-02-05T21:25:57+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#\/schema\/person\/c6f30d34c6f2063310fa149b98046249\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/BestCheeses2023_CheesePlate_USChampionshipCheese.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/BestCheeses2023_CheesePlate_USChampionshipCheese.png\",\"width\":1306,\"height\":1600},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/category\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How to Make an Award-Winning Cheese Plate\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/\",\"name\":\"culture: the word on cheese\",\"description\":\"Culture, America's magazine for cheese lovers, delivers stories about cheeses, cheesemakers, travel to gorgeous cheese regions, and practical tips on buying, presenting, and cooking with cheese.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#\/schema\/person\/c6f30d34c6f2063310fa149b98046249\",\"name\":\"Josie Krogh\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/fc133ec1b3f135a010a6805ffb359752\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/josie-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/josie-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Josie Krogh\"},\"description\":\"Josie Krogh is culture's Digital Strategy Lead. She earned her master's degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics from The University of Georgia. Josie developed a love of food while working at farmstands in the D.C. area as a young adult, and discovered her love of cheese while living and working on a dairy farm on Martha's Vineyard. Josie currently lives in Catskill, NY.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.josiekrogh.com\/\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/josiekrogh\/?hl=en\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/josiekrogh\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/author\/josie-krogh\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Make an Award-Winning Cheese Plate - culture: the word on cheese","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Make an Award-Winning Cheese Plate","og_description":"Five award-winning pairings curated by the culture team.","og_url":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/","og_site_name":"culture: the word on cheese","article_published_time":"2024-02-05T21:25:20+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-02-05T21:25:57+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1306,"height":1600,"url":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/BestCheeses2023_CheesePlate_USChampionshipCheese.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Mallory Scyphers","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Mallory Scyphers","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/","url":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/","name":"How to Make an Award-Winning Cheese Plate - culture: the word on cheese","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/BestCheeses2023_CheesePlate_USChampionshipCheese.png","datePublished":"2024-02-05T21:25:20+00:00","dateModified":"2024-02-05T21:25:57+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#\/schema\/person\/c6f30d34c6f2063310fa149b98046249"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/BestCheeses2023_CheesePlate_USChampionshipCheese.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/BestCheeses2023_CheesePlate_USChampionshipCheese.png","width":1306,"height":1600},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-to-make-an-award-winning-cheese-plate\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/category\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How to Make an Award-Winning Cheese Plate"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#website","url":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/","name":"culture: the word on cheese","description":"Culture, America's magazine for cheese lovers, delivers stories about cheeses, cheesemakers, travel to gorgeous cheese regions, and practical tips on buying, presenting, and cooking with cheese.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#\/schema\/person\/c6f30d34c6f2063310fa149b98046249","name":"Josie Krogh","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/fc133ec1b3f135a010a6805ffb359752","url":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/josie-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/josie-150x150.jpg","caption":"Josie Krogh"},"description":"Josie Krogh is culture's Digital Strategy Lead. She earned her master's degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics from The University of Georgia. Josie developed a love of food while working at farmstands in the D.C. area as a young adult, and discovered her love of cheese while living and working on a dairy farm on Martha's Vineyard. Josie currently lives in Catskill, NY.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.josiekrogh.com\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/josiekrogh\/?hl=en","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/josiekrogh\/"],"url":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/author\/josie-krogh\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47080","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47080"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47080\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47081"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47080"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=47080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}