A decade ago, Lafayette County Cheesemaker Chris Roelli found himself in the cheese limelight.
The lifelong craftsman and his namesake Roelli Cheese Haus east of Shullsburg won the top award from the American Cheese Society’s annual contest for his Little Mountain Alpine-style cheese — a pretty big deal in the industry.
“Of course, that has been pretty good for us as cheesemakers,” said Roelli, reflecting on his big 2016 win, and the impact of it on the Little Mountain Brand. “That kind of a national award can play a big role on a small business like ours, although bragging rights among the local cheesemakers are a pretty big deal for some.”
That same year nearly 30 Wisconsin companies received one or more awards at the competition, and several Wisconsin cheesemakers had outstanding performances, including Klondike Cheese Co., winning 10 ribbons, Maple Leaf Cheesemakers, Inc. with nine ribbons, Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, Emmi Roth USA, Lactalis American Group and Montchevre-Betin, each winning six ribbons; and Saxon Cheese and Saputo Specialty Cheese, each winning five ribbons.
In fact, the 2016 competition included 1,843 entries from over 250 companies. And there have been a decade of cheese contest honors bestowed on Wisconsin ever since.
Roelli said the company’s Red Rock cheese — a cave-aged cheddar, with a hint of blue cheese flavor — has also won top industry awards, contributing to its lingering popularity among discerning cheese lovers.
Many of the ribbons from previous contests hang proudly in the shop and many of the conversations those ribbons started have led to sales.
But while the pressure to win big can be even more intense around these parts — due in part to its proximity to the annual World Cheese Championship up the road in Madison — Roelli and other cheese experts say that contests are useful, but aren’t likely to make or break a local cheesemaker.
Roelli said a big cheese contest win is especially useful to the staff in the marketing and product development areas of the cheese business.
“It’s also a good place to just to try new things and to know for sure sort of how you stand up next to your peers and other cheesemakers,” he said.
The next competition area cheesemakers are keeping an eye on is the annual Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Products Contest — a premier statewide challenge featuring over 500 entries across more than 50 classes of cheese, butter, yogurt, and milk.
Meanwhile, the next World Contest is set for February 2028 in Madison.
“I don’t like to just make a cheese to win a contest,” said Roelli. “I really believe if it’s good enough for our cheese customer, it’s going to be good enough for the judges.”
