Arethusa Farm Takes Home Top Title at US Cheese Championship – culture: the word on cheese

From left: Judge Tim Czmowski holding the First Runner-Up, Vintage Cupola American Original Cheese; Judge Jim Mueller holding the 2023 U.S. Champion, Europa by Arethusa Family Farms; and Director of Logistics Randy Swensen holding Second Runner-Up, a Medium Cheddar by Associated Milk Producers Inc.. After two days of competition, an aged gouda has been named the 2023 United States Champion Cheese. Europa from Arethusa Farm Dairy in Bantam, Connecticut took home the top honor with an impressive score of 98.739 out of 100. Europa beat out 2,249 entries from 197 dairy companies and cooperatives across 35 U.S. states. First runner-up, with a score of 98.613, is Vintage Cupola American Original Cheese, a hard raw milk cheese made by Door Artisan Cheese Company of Egg Harbor, Wisconsin for Red Barn Family Farms in Appleton, Wisconsin. The second runner-up position was awarded to a Medium Cheddar made by Dillon Sylla for Associated Milk Producers Inc. of Blair, Wisconsin with a score of 98.554. A speechless Eric Schmid accepted the award via Zoom on Arethusa’s behalf. Schmid giggled in shock, “Oh my god, oh wow. I’m speechless… my heart’s pounding.” In true cheesemaker fashion, Schmid gave credit to the cows (and of course his hard-working team of cheesemakers). “We get our milk from five local producers, including our own milk on the farm. I owe it to the great farming practices local to us.” In a 2020 profile on destination dairies, culture spoke to Arethusa Farm co-owners Anthony Yurgaitis and George Malkemus about what drove them to start Arethusa and the inspiration for its stunning buildings and landscapes. “Our motto is, ‘Milk like it used to taste,’ and the aesthetic of our buildings tends to mirror that approach,” said Yurgaitis. The two met on the New York fashion scene in the 1970s and ran the Manolo Blahnik shoe brand (of Sex and the City fame) for many years. Top 20 Finalists Class 2: Cheddar, Medium (Three to Six Months)Cheese Name: CheddarMaker: Dillon SyllaCompany: Associated Milk Producers Inc.Location: Blair, Wisconsin Class 4: Cheddar, Aged One to Two YearsCheese Name: Cracker Barrel Aged Reserve CheddarMaker: Manufactured by Agropur – WeyauwegaCompany: Lactalis Heritage DairyLocation: Weyauwega, Wisconsin Class 6: Traditional Waxed Cheddar, Mild to MediumCheese Name: Roelli Haus Select CheddarMaker: Team RoelliCompany: Roelli CheeseLocation: Shullsburg, Wisconsin Class 8: Natural Rinded CheddarCheese Name: Lucky Linda Clothbound CheddarMaker: Redhead CreameryCompany: Redhead CreameryLocation: Brooten, Minnesota Class 12: Baby Swiss StyleCheese Name: Baby Swiss Wheel, RindlessMaker: DV Team 2Company: Guggisberg CheeseLocation: Millersburg, Ohio Class 13: Swiss Style CheeseCheese Name: Founder 56 Emmentaler SwissMaker: James YoderCompany: Rothenbuhler CheesemakersLocation: Middlefield, Ohio Class 19: Provolone, MildCheese Name: Mild Provolone CheeseMaker: Cuba Team 3Company: Great Lakes CheeseLocation: Cuba, New York Class 23: ParmesanCheese Name: Organic Copper Kettle ParmesanMaker: Team Lake Country DairyCompany: Schuman CheeseLocation: Turtle Lake, Wisconsin Class 38: Gouda, AgedCheese Name: EuropaMaker: Arethusa Cheese TeamCompany: Arethusa Farm DairyLocation: Bantam, Connecticut Class 45: Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Semi-soft CheesesCheese Name: WhitneyMaker: Jasper Hill FarmCompany: Jasper Hill FarmLocation: Greensboro Bend, Vermont Class 47: Pepper Flavored Monterey Jack, Mild HeatCheese Name: Pepper JackMaker: Juan TorresCompany: Glanbia NutritionalsLocation: Twin Falls, Idaho Class 48: Pepper Flavored Monterey Jack, Medium HeatCheese Name: Ghost Pepper JackMaker: Jim Falls Cheese TeamCompany: Associated Milk Producers Inc.Location: Jim Falls, Wisconsin Class 54: Open Class: Semi-soft CheesesCheese Name: Cello FontalMaker: Lake Country DairyCompany: Schuman CheeseLocation: Turtle Lake, Wisconsin Class 55: Open Class: Hard CheesesCheese Name: Vintage Cupola American Original CheeseMaker: Team Door Artisan Cheese CompanyCompany: Red Barn Family FarmsLocation: Egg Harbor, Wisconsin Class 56: Open Class: Cheeses with Natural RindCheese Name: St. MalachiMaker: Team Doe RunCompany: The Farm at Doe RunLocation: Coatesville, Pennsylvania Class 59: Open Class: Hard Cheeses, FlavoredCheese Name: Rumiano Pepato Dry JackMaker: Rumiano CheeseCompany: Rumiano CheeseLocation: Crescent City, California Class 77: Hard Goat’s Milk CheesesCheese Name: HootenannyMaker: Goat Rodeo TeamCompany: Goat Rodeo Farm & DairyLocation: Allison Park, Pennsylvania Class 83: Hard Sheep’s Milk CheesesCheese Name: Sweet AnnieMaker: Landmark CreameryCompany: Landmark CreameryLocation: Belleville, Wisconsin Class 86: Soft & Semi-soft Mixed Milk CheesesCheese Name: Breezy BlueMaker: Kingston Cheese TeamCompany: Kingston CreameryLocation: Cambria, Wisconsin Class 88: Hard Mixed Milk CheesesCheese Name: Wegmans Three Milk GoudaMaker: Todd PontiusCompany: Old Chatham CreameryLocation: Groton, New York For a complete list of gold, silver, and bronze medalists by class click here.