Laura Chenel’s Wins Top Goat Cheese Honors At ACS Competition

Sonoma, CA  –  Laura Chenel’s, the pioneer of American goat cheese and perennial favorite, received two first-place awards and two second-place honors at the American Cheese Society’s 34th annual competition on July 28, 2017, in Denver, Colorado, which comprised some 2,024 product entries from 281 companies – a new record!

Laura Chenel’s Original Medallion placed first in the heavily-populated category of Fresh, Rindless Goat’s milk cheese (aged 30 days or less). The 3.5-ounce fresh chèvre was launched earlier this year along with four other varieties in the brand’s Medallion Collection, offering a unique size and package of fresh goat cheeses, providing the perfect size for a quick snack, or practical to unmold and add to a salad plate.

Laura Chenel’s 5-ounce Goat Brie stole first place in another popular category: American made, International style, Made from goat’s milk. The soft-ripened wheel’s creation begins with fresh local goat milk that is turned into curd, gently cut and poured into molds. After 9-14 days of aging, Laura Chenel’s Goat Brie develops a thin bloomy rind and a velvety texture. Grassy and nutty flavors are balanced by hints of lemon and a clean finish.

Taking home second-place honors each were the brand’s 6.2-ounce Cabecou Marinated in Herbsand Spicy Cabecou. With a dense texture, goat cheese disks are hand-packed in olive oil with savory herbs or crushed chilies, respectively, infusing the flavors into the creamy yet tart rounds of chèvre.

“We are both honored and humbled that our fresh and aged chèvre cheeses continue to meet the judges’ expectations for superior products,” began Philippe Chevrollier, General Manager at Laura Chenel’s, Marin French Cheese, and Saint Benoît Creamery. “Laura Chenel’s has garnered seventeen awards this year alone, testimony to our commitment to produce only the highest quality, handcrafted goat’s milk cheese,” continued Chevrollier. “The efforts of the entire Laura Chenel’s team, together with our collaboration with independent goat farmers in the western region of the US,  have allowed us to become the standard for American chèvre.”

Sister companies, Marin French Cheese and Saint Benoît Creamery, were also award recipients at the 2017 American Cheese Society competition. Marin French Cheese savoured a third-place award for its Petite Jalapeño, a 4-ounce soft-ripened wheel that offers a smooth texture and creamy taste that nicely counterbalances the heat from the jalapeños peppers. Saint Benoît Creamery’s Original Yogurt also took a third-place prize in its category, appreciated for its exceptional taste and texture thanks to the rich creamy local milk coming only from Jersey cows.

About Laura Chenel’s

Laura Chenel’s was founded in 1979 by goat cheese pioneer Laura Chenel and upholds a long tradition of European-style artisan cheesemaking using only fresh domestic goat milk from nearby farms in the western region of the U.S.. A leading producer of fresh and aged goat cheeses, its products are sold nationally and regularly earn top honors. In 2013 the company was awarded LEED Gold status for energy efficiency in its state-of-the-art Sonoma creamery. For a complete list of Laura Chenel’s awards visit http://www.laurachenel.com/awards/.

Source: Laura Chenel’s