2013 Conf_AwardsBroch.jp.indd 1 8/1/13 12:08 PM 2013 Conf_AwardsBroch.jp.indd 2 8/1/13 12:08 PM 2013 ACS JUDGING & COMPETITION RESULTS Madison, Wisconsin August 2, 2013 The American Cheese Society (ACS) is a not-for-profit trade organization founded in 1983 to support the North American artisan and specialty cheese industry. ACS provides advocacy, education, business development, and networking opportunities for members of the cheese industry, while striving to continually raise the quality and availability of cheese in North America. The cheesemakers listed on the following pages represent all of the entrants in the 2013 ACS Judging & Competition: the largest in our history, with 257 companies submitting 1,794 different products. Winners in each category are listed separately. Unlike other cheese competitions, where cheeses are graded down for technical defects, ACS’s goal is to give positive recognition to those cheeses that are of the highest quality in their aesthetic and technical evaluation. As a result, the highest quality cheeses are those that ACS feels deserve the recognition of an award, based on a minimum number of points awarded (totaling 100 points possible) for first, second, or third place. In categories or sub-categories where the minimum number of points is not earned, no award is given. Our congratulations go out to all of the dedicated, passionate, creative producers who work daily to bring the traditions of North American cheese to life, to market, and to the largest ACS Judging & Competition to date. As a part of this strong community, you are all winners. 3 2013 Conf_AwardsBroch.jp.indd 3 8/1/13 12:08 PM A message from the 2013 Judging & Competition Chair Wisconsin, America’s Dairyland, has welcomed us with open arms for the 2013 ACS Judging & Competition. Since we’ve been in Madison, I’ve been asked on more than one occasion to explain what sets the ACS Judging & Competition (J&C) apart from other competitions. The answer is simple, “It takes two to tango.” Our competition incorporates the use of aesthetic judges whose sole job is to evaluate the beauty and desirable qualities of each entry. Their partner is an experienced technical judge whose keen palate and sensory skills help cheesemakers identify some of the “off” characteristics of a cheese. Together, they offer entrants an unbiased assessment of their cheeses which, over the years, has been noted to have elevated the cheese industry as a whole. I’ve been honored to be at the helm for the last two years of this growth. I know you’ve heard it many times, but I want to stress again, the Judging & Competition Committee’s dedication is beyond words. Once again, we experienced a record number of entries, 1794 to be exact, from 257 companies. With this outstanding number comes more responsibility and a renewed need to reassess our processes. We continue to work year-round to refine every aspect of the Judging & Competition. This year, along with a few firsts, we’ve made many strides in fine-tuning our categories, judging process, and online entry system. For the first time ever, we have incorporated a cheese curd judging which was held on Saturday. The growing number of entries required us to implement a “norming” process to allow two teams of judges to assess the entries in a single category. And, we have created an online database that allows cheesemakers to print their shipping materials when it’s convenient for them. Without the hard work and dedication of the following people, the Judging & Competition would cease to grow. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank each person who has played a significant role in helping to make the 2013 J&C a huge success. Matt Bonano and Sue Husch reprised their roles as the 2013 Cooler Captains whose main responsibility was to inventory all of the entries. This important role required all cheeses to be checked in and out of the coolers during the judging process to ensure that all cheeses that are judged make it to the Breakfast of Champions and Festival of Cheese. They battled the cold temperatures of the coolers for 4 days in order to maintain the organization that is critical to the flow of the competition. Rachel Perez, one of last year’s trusted Official Conference Cheesemongers, wore many hats this year. During the receiving process, she was in charge of triage. She would catalog all the cheeses that were damaged in transit or were received at a higher than normal temperature. Her experience as a Cooler Captain proved helpful as she assisted in organizing the trucks during receiving. Last, but not least, during the judging she was responsible for the Back of the House, ensuring the judges received all the cheeses, and that all cheeses were returned to the trucks after judging. David Grotenstein, Judging Chair Emeritus, serves in an advisory role assisting judges who have questions throughout the judging process. He has always been there for me during the past two years as judging chair. His advice has been a consistent reminder of his love for American cheese and ACS cheesemakers. Tom Kooiman, the ACS J&C Committee Vice Chair, has become a great friend, and I could not ask for a better Vice Chair during the past two years. I have had a lot of fun getting to know Tom and working with him on all of the challenges that have come up. I am confident he is going to make a great Chair. His love and passion for American cheese and his honest, fun nature make him a true joy to work with. John Antonelli, J&C Committee Member and Board Liaison, never ceases to amaze me. For the last few years, he has created a complex spreadsheet for tempering cheese based on the size and approximate time of judging to ensure that cheese is delivered to the judges at optimal temperature. His skills as cheese shop owner shine as he manages the volunteers, the inventory, and the flow of cheese. John is so involved in numerous aspects of the Judging & Competition that it is impossible to name everything he has accomplished over the years. His positive attitude is infectious to all who are around him. Richard and Karen Silverston, while not with us in person this year, were with us in spirit as they supported us by phone, email, and FaceTime. Their dedication throughout the year is valued by the ACS staff and J&C Committee. They assisted with all of the behind the scenes judging logistics, including the development of the judging database and the review of cheese entry categories. This year, they worked double-time over the 4th of July holiday, assisting staff with the conversion of data from the online entry system to the onsite judging database. Stephanie Clark had some pretty big shoes to fill as Bill Wendorff’s replacement. She’s stepped in seamlessly to offer the committee sound advice on all of our technical questions. Her guidance proves tremendously helpful in the judging room as judges are presented with challenging technical questions. She assists with identifying and inviting many of our technical judges, and is always ready to assist anyone on the committee and in the judging room with a smile. 4 2013 Conf_AwardsBroch.jp.indd 4 8/1/13 12:08 PM Patrick Bleck, our fearless auditor, oversees the verification of all entries throughout the judging. He reviews every change, score, and placement to ensure accuracy across all areas of data entry. He steps in during crunch time to assist with reading scores so the data entry teams are not back-logged. He’s been a fantastic addition to the committee and I have enjoyed working with him over the last three years. Steve Binns and Marisa Crider work together as the dynamic duo in the Front of House. Steve oversees the data entry administration, and Marisa serves as his backup. Together, they work to enter the scores for each cheese and deliver the communication of first place entries. This was Steve’s second ACS J&C and his confidence and willingness to go the extra mile definitely was noticed and impressive. He is a true asset, and I hope he remains involved with the J&C Committee. Amy Masoni returned this year to assist as our trusted “Librarian.” Her methodical approach and attention to detail are critical to ensuring the committee knows exactly where every category folder is throughout all of the steps in the competition. This year, Rich Rogers was a man on the go as he worked to receive the 1st place communications and ensure that 1st place cheeses were sequestered in a safe place for the Best of Show round. He was a great addition in this critical role. John Greeley: what can I say, he “is still fine.” John was one of the first to introduce me to the world of cheese. He has always been there for me as a friend, colleague, and now a coworker. He exemplifies the industry by his love and passion for all cheese. I continue to learn from John on a daily basis. Michelle Lee...I am not sure where to start or end. She works to keep us all on task and reminds us of our deadlines, but most of all she has made the J&C Committee her family. The change that I have seen in the past four years in the J&C has been due to Michelle taking this and making it her own. Though she has many other responsibilities as the Programs & Operations Director for ACS, I can tell that this is her true passion.