MADISON — Discover Wisconsin, the state’s leading media brand and tourism TV show, will be shining the spotlight on Wisconsin’s famous dairy industry. “Wisconsin Cheese Renaissance” airs at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 29 on Fox Sports Wisconsin and is also available for online streaming on Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire, Smart TV and DiscoverWisconsin.com. The episode was produced in partnership with Discover Wisconsin and the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.
Co-host Eric Paulsen kicks off the episode by meeting some of the state’s Master Cheesemakers to learn what it takes to make the best cheese in the country. The Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, UW Extension, and the Center for Dairy Research came together to create a Master Cheesemaker Program that takes cheesemaking education to the next level. Paulsen learns about the classes these cheesemakers take, the innovations the program has spearheaded, and even gets a first-hand judging lesson from an experienced cheese contest judge.
Next, Paulsen learns the ins and outs of cheese judging contests and what it takes to run these technical competitions. An average of 1,800 cheeses are submitted to each contest and judges sniff, taste and feel each entry to evaluate the taste, texture, and appearance of every cheese. Paulsen also meets with the cheesemakers behind Sartori and Emmi Roth’s award-winning cheeses to see how they choose cheeses to submit and what characteristics they look for in a winning entry.
Paulsen wraps up the show exploring some of most prestigious cheese contests in the world including the United States Championship Cheese Contest, the nation’s premiere technical competition for cheese, butter, and yogurt. These contests give cheesemakers an opportunity to receive valuable feedback on their work while also continuing to elevate Wisconsin’s cheesemaking reputation.
“Wisconsin Cheese Renaissance” will reach Discover Wisconsin’s broadcast network of 600,000 viewers across the upper Great Lakes region, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, northern Illinois and upper Michigan. The episode was produced by Amy Wallace. To learn more, visit discoverwisconsin.com.
