MADISON - This year's World Champion Cheese hails from France, despite five Wisconsin cheeses making it into the final round of 20 in the World Championship Cheese Contest held this week.
Announced Thursday night at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison, the winning cheese, Esquirrou, is made from sheep's milk and was submitted by Pennsylvania company Savencia Cheese USA, which owns a location in Lena. First runner-up was a hard cow's milk cheese from Austria, and second runner-up was from Switzerland.
Maple Leaf Cheese in Monroe made the top 20 for its English Hollow Cheddar in the category for cheddar, aged one to two years.
Savencia Cheese USA was established in New Holland, Pennsylvania, in 1974 originally as Alouette Cheese USA and within a decade acquired Kolb-Lena Cheese Co. It's a subsidiary of Groupe Savencia, a company headquartered in Viroflay, France, according to its website.
Still, area cheesemakers won several other awards during the three-day contest. More detailed results will be in Saturday's Monroe Times.
Announced Thursday night at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison, the winning cheese, Esquirrou, is made from sheep's milk and was submitted by Pennsylvania company Savencia Cheese USA, which owns a location in Lena. First runner-up was a hard cow's milk cheese from Austria, and second runner-up was from Switzerland.
Maple Leaf Cheese in Monroe made the top 20 for its English Hollow Cheddar in the category for cheddar, aged one to two years.
Savencia Cheese USA was established in New Holland, Pennsylvania, in 1974 originally as Alouette Cheese USA and within a decade acquired Kolb-Lena Cheese Co. It's a subsidiary of Groupe Savencia, a company headquartered in Viroflay, France, according to its website.
Still, area cheesemakers won several other awards during the three-day contest. More detailed results will be in Saturday's Monroe Times.