CENTRALPOINT, OREGON (August 8, 2008) — Internationally acclaimed cheese makerRogue Creamery, from Central Point, Oregon, has been honored with four awardsat the 25th Annual American Cheese Society’s Competition, heldJuly 25 in Chicago. In all, Oregonartisan, farmstead and specialty cheesemakers won 15 awards in the nationalcompetition.
RogueCreamery, founded in 1935, took first place with its Echo Mountain Blue in the“Blue Mold Cheeses Mixed Milk” category. The company also placed inthe following; both second and third in the “Cow’s Milk”category with its Oregon Blue and Crater Lake Blue, respectively; and second in“Flavored Cheddars” with its Chocolate Stout Cheddar. This is thefirst time ever that a beer cheddar has won an award at the American CheeseSociety. Rogue Creamery and Rogue Ales partneredto combine one of their favorite pairings: Rogue Beer with Rogue CreameryChocolate Stout Cheddar. The Rogue Chocolate Stout is poured into the cheddarvat and rolled around the curd before the curds are hand dipped and poured intocheese hoops for pressing. This combination is perfectly balanced,complementing both the sweet and savory flavors of a full cream cheddar andRogue Chocolate Stout.
Oregon cheese makers placed in eight categoriesand 13 subcategories. In addition to Rogue Creamery, Oregon’swinners included: Tillamook County Creamery Assn., Tillamook; Willamette ValleyCheese Co., Salem;Rivers Edge Chevre, Logsden; Tumalo Farms, Tumalo. The awards point to therapidly expanding recognition of Oregon'scheese makers in regional, national, and international markets.
TheAmerican Cheese Society (ACS) judging is the nation's largest cheesecompetition and one of the most respected and unique events in the UnitedStates. ACS recognizes only the highest quality cheeses based on bothaesthetics (flavor, aroma, and texture) and technical accomplishments. Some 30cheese specialists judged the 2008 competition, which included 1,149 entriesrepresenting cheese makers from 30 U.S. states and three Canadianprovinces.
TheAmerican Cheese Society is an active, not-for-profit trade organization thatencourages the understanding, appreciation, and promotion of farmstead andnatural specialty cheeses produced in the Americasand Canada.
RogueCreamery, co-owned by David Gremmels and Cary Bryant, is dedicated to producingclassic and original blue and cheddar cheeses in the finest tradition ofartisanal cheese makers using the highest quality ingredients. The companyoffers the only vertically third party certified sustainable cheese in the United States.Its dairy, Rogue View, and creamery, Rogue Creamery, are both certified by FoodAlliance.
Otherawards Rogue Creamery has won include the World’s Best Blue Cheese at theWorld Cheese Awards in London, a first for a U.S. creamery, and the coveted Best New Productin the World for its Smokey Blue at the National Association for the SpecialtyFood Trade (NASFT) Food Show in New York. Rogue Creamery was also the first Americancheese maker to export raw milk cheeses to the European Union (EU), and it washonored as the first U.S.maker featured at the prestigious “Cheese” festival in Bra, Italy.
RogueCreamery has been a leading contributor to Oregon’s thriving artisancheese industry, which has included the founding of the Oregon Cheese Guild in2006 (including cow, goat, and sheep's milk cheeses), and program support fromOregon State University Dairy Processing Extension Service, Oregon Departmentof Agriculture's Food Innovation Center, Oregon Economic Community DevelopmentDepartment and the Oregon Dairy Products Commission.
As partof the American Cheese Society’s 2008 national conference, Gremmels waselected president of the organization. Bryant has served as president of theRaw Milk Cheesemakers’ Association, and is currently serving on the Boardof Directors of the Oregon Cheese Guild.
Formore information contact: Francis Plowman, 541-665-1155 ext. 123
E-Mail:fplowman@roguecreamery.com,Fax: 541.665.1133
Website: www.roguecreamery.com
