If you heard some boisterous cheering going on amongst Oregon’s cheese crowd recently, it’s not without good reason.  This year’s Best of Show award at the American Cheese Society Conference, one of America’s foremost cheese judging events, was awarded to one of our own cheesemakers.

RogueRogue River Blue made by Rogue Creamery of Central Point, a small town just outside of Medford, won the prestigious award at the 26th annual conference held August 2-5 in Austin, Texas.  The cheese took top honors in a highly competitive field of 1327 cheeses – the largest-ever number of cheeses — from throughout North America.  Competition judging teams score cheeses based on appearance, aroma, flavor and texture.

After each entry is judged by a team, the 88 first place winners were placed in front of the judges who chose their top 3 cheeses.  The Best of Show is then awarded the top vote getter from amongst this elite group.  Second place went to Red Hawk from Cowgirl Creamery (CA) and third place was shared by Carr Valley (WI) Cave Aged Mellage and Consider Bardwell Farm (VT) Rupert.

The first Oregon cheese to take Best of Show honors, Rogue River Blue is produced for a short time between the fall equinox and the winter solstice when the milk of the pasture grazed herd of Brown Swiss and Holstein cows at the Rogue View Dairy is at its peak of richness and flavor.

A true reflection of local terrior, the wheels are carefully handwrapped in local Syrah grape leaves that have been macerated in Clear Creek Distillery Pear Brandy and aged to perfection for up to a year before release each fall.

Bringing home the top award was a culmination of a successful day for Oregon cheesemakers who garnered a total of 22 awards, including First Place ribbons for Willamette Valley Cheese Perrydale, a cow-sheep milk Gouda style cheese; Tumalo Farms Classico, an aged goat milk Gouda, and Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue.

Oregon’s cheesemakers weren’t the only award winners at the conference.  Team Oregon – Steve Jones owner/cheesemonger of Portland-based Steve’s Cheese and Tom VanVorhees, Rogue Creamery Tasting Room Manager – took first place in the first-ever Merchandising competition.  The contest, modeled after the annual French competition Caseus, judged teams on aesthetic and technical skills as well as cheese knowledge.

All in all, it was a banner year for Oregon at the annual cheese-tastic event.  Next year, the conference comes back to the Northwest with Seattle, WA playing host August 23-25, 2010.  Watch this column for more information about cheese-centric events open to the public.