(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Many California cheese companies are getting it right and for the third straight year, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company has won Best of Show Cow's Milk Cheese. This time it was for their Aged Gouda, a classic Dutch-style Gouda aged for 24 months.
Also notable, newcomer Moonside Creamery won Best of Show Other Milk Type. Moonside, which started in 2016 and is located in Sebastopol, CA, won with their California Original Smoke Ring, a mixed-milk type of a soft-mold ripened, aged lactic ring, uncooked, unpressed, and ash-coated with a touch of smoked sea salt.
A panel of 11 judges selected from respected cheese merchants, writers, promoters and educators tasted and evaluated 142 California cheeses at Cal Expo on May 9, 2018. A total of 23 California cheese producers, including three new companies entered the 2018 California State Fair Commercial Cheese Competition. The cheeses are entered by division and class and are evaluated for appearance, aroma, texture and taste.
The California State Fair will recognize Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company and Moonside Creamery at a special press event on the steps of State Capitol on June 21, 2018. Later that evening, the winning producers will be invited to sample their cheeses at the Best of California Tasting Reception at Cal Expo held prior to the California State Fair Gala, benefiting The Friends of the CA State Fair. You can find more information about the Gala and The Best of California Tasting Event at CAStateFair.org/gala. The Commercial Cheese Competition winners will also be presenting during the CA State Fair Taste of California Experience Classes, July 13th - 29th. Fair guests can learn how to taste, pair, and use the best California cheeses during these classes taught by experts. Registration for these classes will begin soon.
For more information and interview requests, please contact:
CA State Fair Media Center: (916) 263-3108
About the California State Fair
The California State Fair is an international award-winning fair, receiving top honors at the International Association of Fairs and Expositions out of more than 1,100 fairs world-wide. The California State Fair is dedicated as a place to celebrate the best the state has to offer in agriculture, technology and the diversity of its people, traditions and trends that shape the Golden State's future. We invite you to join us for the 165th California State Fair, July13-29, 2018. ###
