The week brought back the biennial World Championship Cheese Contest (WCCC), held in Madison, Wisconsin. This year 2,978 entries from around the world competed across 141 categories. From March 1-3rd, a team of 53 internationally renowned dairy experts from 16 nations evaluated cheese, butter and yogurt through visual inspection and sensory evaluation. TomaTruffle from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company won its category, open class: semi-soft, flavored, with a top score of 99.25, which put it in contention for consideration as a World’s Top 20 Cheese.
A secondary evaluation and scoring of all 141 first place winners led to the prestigious honor given to TomaTruffle, as one of the World’s Top 20 Cheeses. This recognition was bestowed to only one cheese from California.
“Scoring the final 20 was the toughest I can recall”, said WCCC judge, Marianne Smukowski, “this year there were so many really, really exceptional cheeses. Cheesemakers receiving this recognition definitely earned well-deserved bragging rights for the next two years.”
“We are thrilled with TomaTruffle’s 1st Place award at the World Competition,” said Kuba Hemmerling, VP of Operations at Point Reyes Farmstead. “To learn that TomaTruffle has also been recognized as one of the top 20 cheeses in the world, that is just outstanding. Our team’s goal is that every wheel contains the perfect mix of creamy texture and rich butter notes in the cheese, enhanced by the balance of earthy flavors from Sabatino Italian truffles. The gratification that our efforts have been rewarded is awesome.”
The World Championship Cheese Contest, initiated in 1957, is the largest technical cheese, butter and yogurt competition in the world. For more information, including complete results for all entry classes, visit WorldChampionCheese.org.
About Point Reyes Cheese Farmstead Cheese Company:
In 1959, Bob and Dean Giacomini established their successful dairy farm just north of Point Reyes Station in Marin County, CA. In 2000, together with their daughters, the family began making hand-crafted cheese on the farm with milk from their own herd of Holsteins. In 2010, now WBENC certified Women-Owned by sisters Diana, Lynn and Jill, they opened The Fork, a culinary and educational center offering farm-to-table educational experiences for both consumers and the trade. In 2018 the company expanded to Petaluma, with the opening of a second creamery, warehouse and distribution center. The Point Reyes product line consisting of Toma, TomaTruffle, TomaProvence, TomaRashi, Bay Blue, Gouda, Quinta and Original Blue, is available nationally at independent cheese shops and specialty grocers, at the Fork, Bay Area farmers’ markets and online at www.pointreyescheese.com.
To learn more about Point Reyes Cheese Farmstead Cheese Company, please visit www.pointreyescheese.com.
