Tribute to "Dairy State:" Milwaukee hosts U.S. Championship Cheese Contest

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Wisconsin is the "Dairy State," so it makes sense that Milwaukee played host to the United States Championship Cheese Contest! It is taking place Tuesday, March 17th through Thursday, March 19th at the Wisconsin Center in downtown Milwaukee.

"We`re whispering or not talking at all in here," John Umhoefer, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association said.

That's because the judges were concentrating on their taste buds and sense of smell.

"We want to be able to take a good visual, smell, aroma. We want to be able to taste the product -- feel it -- become very intimate with the product," judge Jill Allen said.

Allen has worked in the Tillamook Cheese Senstory Labs for 14 years. On Tuesday, she was in Milwaukee, looking for a cheese that she defines as clean and pleasant to the palate.

"We want it to have a body -- nice and fluent and a piece that`s really a show piece to represent the U.S. National Cheese Contest," Allen said.

This year's competition was the largest yet, with more than 1,800 entries from 28 states.

"We`re seeing more growth in smoked cheese, flavored cheese, goat cheese, sheep cheese. As the industry grows, the contest grows," Umhoefer said.

Thirty-thousand pounds of dairy products were rolled into Wisconsin for this competition. That includes anything from bite-sized pieces of cheese to a 200-pound block of Swiss!

"I love today!" Brian Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman is a third-generation cheese maker. He entered a couple variations into this contest, and he says the key to winning is consistancy when it comes to the product.

"We don`t make special cheese for the contest, but when I do enter cheese, I`ll make a batch and evaluate it. Look at it. Squeeze it. Touch it. Taste it -- and then you narrow it down," Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman spent seven weeks preparing for this competition. He says even though he's from the Dairy State, that no longer gives him a leg up.

"We used to, but I think the rest of the U.S. is catching up to us -- and for that matter, even the world," Zimmerman said.

The U.S. Championship Cheese Contest has been hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association for 34 years. Thirty-two dairy product experts will select medalists in a record 90 cheese, butter and yogurt classes. Two yogurt experts will taste 86 yogurts entered in six new classes.

The top scoring entries in each class will earn gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively.

The participating U.S. states include: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

On Thursday evening, March 19, Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association together with Anchor Bank will host a gala, ticketed event to benefit Hunger Task Force in the Regency Ballroom at the downtown Milwaukee Hyatt Regency Hotel. During this charitable event, the entire panel of Contest judges will evaluate the “Sweet Sixteen” – the top 16 gold medal cheeses in the competition – while guests enjoy dozens of unique cheeses selected from Contest categories.

This event, “Champion Cheese Charity Event – A Benefit for Hunger Task Force,” begins at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 19. Tickets are $35 and may be purchased at www.hungertaskforce.org . All ticket proceeds from this event will benefit Hunger Task Force.

Winners from around the nation will travel to Madison to receive their awards during the Wisconsin Cheese Industry Conference, April 22-23, 2015. During the conference, gold medal cheeses are auctioned to support the contest, scholarships and the WCMA education initiatives. The conference concludes April 23 with a gala awards banquet for the winning manufacturers.