U.S. Cheesemakers dominated the World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, Wisconsin, this month, and BelGioioso Cheese was awarded eight prestigious medals out of a total of 3,402 entries from 26 different nations.  Four 1st place gold medals, three 2nd place Silver medals and one 3rd place Bronze medal will be awarded to BelGioioso Cheesemakers at the bi-annual awards ceremony in April.

“Our Creamy Gorgonzola and Parmesan were recognized as best in the world, along with our Mascarpone and Fresh Mozzarella Snacking Cheese,” says Errico Auricchio, President BelGioioso Cheese.  “Four very different cheeses. This shows the world that our quality is consistent across our entire line.”

The awarded medals cover a wide variety of the cheeses BelGioioso specializes in and the cheesemaking expertise is key to the company’s award-winning quality. “One of our greatest investments is in the training of our Cheesemakers who hand-craft these world class cheeses each day,” says Gaetano Auricchio, Executive Vice President.  “We have 6 certified Master Cheesemakers on staff and 2 more in training.  This elite group is very passionate about their craft and always willing to teach and expand on our mission for creating the best quality cheeses on the market.” 

BelGioioso Cheesemakers were recognized with a total of eight awards in the contest:

  • 1st Place Gold Medal—BelGioioso Parmesan (Parmesan Class) Tim Dudek—99.20 score
  • 1st Place Gold Medal—La Bottega di BelGioioso CreamyGorg (Gorgonzola Class) Jeff Allen—99.45 score
  • 1st Place Gold Medal—BelGioioso Mascarpone (Open Class Soft Cheeses) Bill Codr—99.60 score
  • 1st Place Gold Medal—BelGioioso Fresh Mozzarella Snacking (Natural Snack Class) Jose Mora—99.00 score
  • 2nd Place Silver Medal—BelGioioso Crema di Mascarpone (Open Class Soft Cheeses) Randy Wolter—99.55 score
  • 2nd Place Silver Medal—BelGioioso Black Truffle Burrata (Open Class Flavored Soft Cheeses) Dean Egnarski—99.45
  • 2nd Place Silver Medal—BelGioioso Aged Provolone Mandarini (Aged Provolone Class) Al Steger—97.75 score
  • 3rd Place Bronze Medal—La Bottega di BelGioioso Crumbly Gorgonzola with Sheep’s Milk (Soft & Semi-soft Mixed Milk Cheeses Class) Mark Ruttner—98.05 score

BelGioioso Cheese is a family-owned and operated company specializing in artisan Italian cheesemaking. Using only natural ingredients and fresh, local Wisconsin milk, Master Cheesemakers hand-craft a full line of exceptional cheeses guided by a commitment to quality and a respect for tradition.

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