GREEN BAY, WIS. — For the first time in its history, the United States Championship Cheese Contest has a back-to-back champion. Judges on March 6 awarded the top honor at the biennial event to Arethusa Europa, as they did two years ago.
Made by the cheese team at Arethusa Farm Dairy, in Bantam, Conn., the aged gouda earned a score of 98.89 out of 100 at the 2025 contest.
That score was just enough to prevail over runner-up St. Malachi Reserve (98.88), a gouda/Alpine hybrid from The Farm at Doe Run, in Coatesville, Pa.
The second runner-up wasn’t far behind either, with Cello Organic Copper Kettle Parmesan from Schuman Cheese’s Lake Country Dairy team in Turtle Lake, Wis., garnering a 98.81.
“The razor-thin margins that separated our contest finalists speak to the caliber of US cheesemakers’ talent,” said John Umhoefer, executive director at the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA), which organizes and hosts the competition. “Congratulations go to the team at Arethusa Farm Dairy, and praise is in order for all our competitors’ commitment to excellence in the art and science of cheesemaking.”
WCMA shared that the 2025 contest featured 2,414 entries from 31 states among the 117 classes of products.
The following cheeses were not only deemed by judges as the best in their respective classes, but also graded as the top 20 entries overall at the competition:
Class 6: Traditional Waxed Cheddar, Mild to Medium
Cheese Name: Waxed Cheddar Medium
Maker: Adan Gonzalea
Company: Glanbia Nutritionals
Location: Twin Falls, Idaho
Class 8: Natural Rinded Cheddar
Cheese Name: Cabot Clothbound, Jasper Hill Farm
Maker: Cabot Cooperative Creamery
Company: Jasper Hill Farm
Location: Greensboro, Vermont
Class 12: Baby Swiss Style
Cheese Name: Ziller Wheel
Maker: Guggisberg
Company: Guggisberg Cheese
Location: Millersburg, Ohio
Class 21: Asiago
Cheese Name: Cello Asiago
Maker: Lake Country Dairy
Company: Lake Country Dairy/Schuman Cheese
Location: Turtle Lake, Wisconsin
Class 23: Parmesan
Cheese Name: Cello Organic Copper Kettle Parmesan
Maker: Lake Country Dairy
Company: Lake Country Dairy/Schuman Cheese
Location: Turtle Lake, Wisconsin
Class 29: Havarti
Cheese Name: Buholzer Brothers Havarti Cheese
Maker: Steve Bechtolt
Company: Klondike Cheese Co.
Location: Monroe, Wisconsin
Class 30: Havarti, Flavored
Cheese Name: Buholzer Brothers Dill Havarti Cheese
Maker: Dave Buholzer
Company: Klondike Cheese Co.
Location: Monroe, Wisconsin
Class 35: Open Class: Soft-Ripened Cheeses
Cheese Name: Hummingbird
Maker: Team Doe Run
Company: The Farm at Doe Run
Location: Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Class 36: Edam & Gouda
Cheese Name: Lake Country Dairy Gouda
Maker: Lake Country Dairy
Company: Lake Country Dairy/Schuman Cheese
Location: Turtle Lake, Wisconsin
Class 37: Gouda, Aged
Cheese Name: Arethusa Europa
Maker: Arethusa Cheese Team
Company: Arethusa Farm Dairy
Location: Bantam, Connecticut
Class 43: Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Soft Cheeses
Cheese Name: Willoughby
Maker: Soft Cheese Team
Company: Jasper Hill Farm
Location: Greensboro, Vermont
Class 44: Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Semi-soft Cheeses
Cheese Name: Hop Along
Maker: Cowgirl Creamery Cader Lane
Company: Cowgirl Creamery
Location: Petaluma, California
Class 46: Raclette
Cheese Name: Reading
Maker: Spring Brook Farm Cheese Team
Company: Spring Brook Farm Cheese
Location: Reading, Vermont
Class 54: Open Class: Soft Cheeses, Flavored
Cheese Name: BelGioioso Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Basil, & Garlic Marinated
Maker: Trevor Tilot
Company: BelGioioso Cheese
Location: Denmark, Wisconsin
Class 58: Open Class: Hard Cheeses, Flavored
Cheese Name: Henning's Cheese Onion and Chive
Maker: Henning Cheese
Company: Henning Cheese
Location: Kiel, Wisconsin
Class 59: Open Class: Cheeses with Natural Rind
Cheese Name: St. Malachi Reserve
Maker: Team Doe Run
Company: The Farm at Doe Run
Location: Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Class 60: Open Class: Smoked Soft & Semi-soft Cheeses
Cheese Name: Blue Spruce Blue
Maker: Carr Valley Cheese Company
Company: Carr Valley Cheese Company
Location: Linden, Wisconsin
Class 82: Soft-Ripened Goat's Milk Cheeses
Cheese Name: 1916
Maker: Wegmans Food Market & Vermont Creamery
Company: Wegmans Food Market
Location: Rochester, New York
Class 87: Soft & Semi-soft Mixed Milk Cheeses
Cheese Name: Mobay
Maker: Carr Valley Cheese Company
Company: Carr Valley Cheese Company
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin
Class 89: Surface Ripened Mixed Milk Cheeses
Cheese Name: Springdell
Maker: Team Doe Run
Company: The Farm at Doe Run
Location: Coatesville, Pennsylvania
