Spotlight Shines on Oregon’s Culinary Prowess During American Cheese Society Conference
The nation’s specialty food industry descended on Portland last week at the American Cheese Society’s (ACS) 2022 annual conference, its first in-person event since 2019. Oregon food and beverage makers were featured in pre-conference tours, educational and tasting seminars, and at a Best of Oregon celebration hosted by the Oregon Cheese Guild during this four day conference for over 1,000 industry professionals.
At the Annual Cheese Competition, Oregon artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheesemakers took home blue ribbons in 10 categories and Oregon cheeses landed a clean sweep in the 2-4 Year Aged Cheddar category. The awards were announced July 21st at the ACS’s 39th Annual Conference. Tillamook received seven awards, Face Rock Creamery nabbed five, and Briar Rose Creamery scored four coveted medals, including three golds. There were 1,387 entries representing 196 creameries from North and South America in this year’s competition, the nation’s largest. The full list of Oregon’s awards is below.
Oregon cheeses and local specialty food and beverage were on display all week to specialty food buyers from around the world, showcased in seminars such as “An Agricultural Tour from the Oregon Trail to Modern Day”, “A Distinctive Fermentation Community: Oregon’s National Leadership”, “Portlanders’ Cultural Diversity in Food”, and “What Grows Together Goes Together: Oregon’s Dynamic Geological History and Terroir”; during the Cheese Crawl at local establishments; and in events and receptions such as those hosted by marquee sponsor Tillamook and the Oregon Cheese Guild. The public will be able to taste this year’s winners from Oregon and beyond at Portland’s celebration of cheese and all things that go with it, The Wedge, September 24th at Alder Block. Other opportunities to taste competition winners and other delicious Oregon cheeses are at our retail partners statewide during Oregon Cheese Month in September, at the Oregon Cheese Festival in Central Point, and at creameries around the state on the Oregon Cheese & Food Trail.
2022 American Cheese Competition Awards Oregon Winners by Category & Subcategory
Fromage Blanc made from cow’s milk
1st: Fromage Blanc, Briar Rose Creamery, Dundee
Fromage Blanc made from mixed or other milks
2nd: Brebis, Briar Rose Creamery, Dundee
Cheddar aged 13 months through 23 months made from cow’s milk
3rd: Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar, Tillamook
Cheddar aged through 12 months made from cow’s milk
3rd: Tillamook Medium Cheddar, Tillamook
Cheddar aged 24 months through 47 months
1st: Tillamook Extra Sharp White Cheddar, Tillamook
2nd: Tillamook Makers Reserve 2019 Cheddar, Tillamook
3rd: Cheese Is Love Cheddar, Rogue Creamery, Central Point
Mature Cheddar aged 48 or more months
2nd: Tillamook Makers Reserve 2017 Cheddar, Tillamook
Cheddar wrapped in cloth aged 13 or more months
2nd: Face 2 Face Clothbound Cheddar, Face Rock Creamery, Bandon
3rd: Clothbound Cheddar, Face Rock Creamery, Bandon
Sweet Cheddar
1st: Face 2 Face Mixed Milk Cheddar, Face Rock Creamery, Bandon
Sheep’s milk open category
1st: Agness, Briar Rose Creamery, Dundee
Mixed or other milk open category
3rd: Beltane, Rivers Edge Chevre LLC, Logsden
Fresh Hispanic cheeses
3rd: Don Froylan Queso Fresco, Don Froylan Creamery, Salem
Hispanic cooking cheeses
1st: Don Froylan Queso Oaxaca, Don Froylan Creamery, Salem
String cheese
2nd: Liliana’s String Cheese, Don Froylan Creamery, Salem
Feta
1st: Feta, Briar Rose Creamery, Dundee
Smoked Cheddars
1st: Tillamook Hickory Smoked Cheddar, Tillamook
3rd: Tillamook Hickory Smoked Extra Sharp White Cheddar, Tillamook
Smoked Cheeses made from cow’s milk
3rd: Smokey Blue, Rogue Creamery, Central Point
Smoked Cheeses made from mixed or other milks
1st: Up in Smoke, Rivers Edge Chevre LLC, Logsden
Cheddar with Flavor Added
1st: Peppercorn Harvest Clothbound Cheddar, Face Rock Creamery, Bandon
Cheddar with Hot Flavor Added
2nd: In Your Face Spicy 3 Pepper Cheddar, Face Rock Creamery, Bandon
Farmstead aged less than 60 days
1st: Siltcoos, Rivers Edge Chevre LLC, Logsden