Judging cheese at the United States Championship Cheese Contest, March 4, 2025. PC: Fox 11 Online
ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The best of the best in the world of dairy are in the Green Bay area.
The United States Championship Cheese Contest is underway at the Resch Expo in Ashwaubenon.
“This is my favorite contest by far. As a cheesemaker, there’s no better place to be in all the world, than Wisconsin,” said Pam Hodgson, Sartori Cheese Master Cheesemaker.
With decades of experience in the cheese business, Bill Knoespel says there may be a trick to tasting.
“My coaching efforts with my family was, look before you try. Find the best one to start out, and then keep going. If you get to the intense flavors too soon, nothing else matters for a while. So you have to eat some crackers, and drink some water,” said Bill Knoespel, Ashwaubenon.
Knoespel and others tried a variety of samples on Tuesday morning inside the Resch Expo. The three-day United States Champion Cheese Contest features tasting tables, judging sessions, more than 24 hundred entries across 117 classes and 31 states.
“It is such a competitive contest, just to win a class is a high achievement,” said Hodgson.
Pam Hodgson is a master cheesemaker for Sartori Cheese based in Plymouth. She says Wisconsin and the dairy industry go hand-in-hand,
“If a company wins on this stage, it really is great. It helps us market, and get the word out. It’s not just that we think we have a great product, we can use the contest to validate the quality of our product. So it’s really important to us, and I think it says a lot about what cheese means to Wisconsin as well,” she said.
And as Bill Knoespel continues to catch up with friends old and new, he says there’s nothing like Wisconsin cheese.
“It’s a great opportunity for everybody to learn about cheese, eat some cheese. The only difference, I don’t wear my cheese on my head, I eat it,” he said.
The cheese contest continues Wednesday, and is open to the public.
The winner is scheduled to be crowned during an online ceremony on Thursday.
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