GRAFTON, VT – Handmaking worldclass cheddar has been a Grafton Village Cheese tradition for over a century, and now the Vermont creamery is expanding beyond its roots in cheddar with the introduction of its new Cave Aged line. Grafton’s new and existing cheeses earned top honors at the 4th Annual Big E Gold Medal Cheese Competition in West Springfield, MA on August 26, 2011. Grafton Village Cheese won four awards at the event taking home two gold, one silver and one bronze medal.
Grafton’s Bismark and Cave Aged Barn Dance cheeses, both new Cave Aged cheeses, won gold medals in the Open Class. As existing favorites, the Maple Smoked Cheddar received a silver medal in the Smoked Cheeses category and the company’s signature 2 Year Cheddar earned a bronze medal in the Cheddar class.
"Since joining Grafton this past year, I've been creating different sheep and mixedmilk varieties – a specialty of mine," said Dane Huebner, Master Cheesemaker at Grafton Village Cheese. "The caveaging facility here allows me to handmake and age cheese the traditional way, and the availability of highquality raw milk from local farms is key. The response to the first few cheeses makes me even more excited to give our fans a taste of what's next."
This year’s event marked the fourth year of the Big E Gold Medal Cheese Competition. A total of 119 entries from 33 cheesemakers from throughout New England competed for distinctions in 16 categories. The entries were judged on
texture and body, aroma, appearance and rind development and flavor. Five food and cheese professionals carefully selected the winners and a total of 58 medals were awarded.
Grafton’s two gold medal winners are both products of the creamery’s new Cave Aged, raw milk specialty line. Grafton’s CaveAged Bismark is a sheep’s milk cheese featuring a unique taste that starts out tangy, flavorful and sweet and builds to a creamy, hazelnut finish. The Vermont Barn Dance is a semihard cheese made from sheep’s milk accented with cow’s milk and features a flavor medley that is tangy, sharp and finishes with a delicate sour cream note. Winner of a silver medal, the smooth, smoky Maple Smoked Cheddar is coldsmoked for up to six hours with maple wood chips, and the bronze medal winning Two Year Cheddar is traditionally aged for at least two full years and is nationally acclaimed for its unforgettable individuality, mellow tartness and creamy mouth feel.
About Grafton Village Cheese
Grafton Village Cheese, located in Grafton, Vermont hand makes artisanal raw milk cheeses and is best known for their award winning cheddars. The company was founded in 1892 as the Grafton Cooperative Cheese Company, which converted surplus milk from local dairy farmers into cheese. Years later, a fire destroyed the original factory. When the Windham Foundation restored the company in the mid 1960s, a new era for the town was born. Today, quality and taste continue to serve as the hallmark of Grafton cheddar. Grafton Village cheddars are sold under the Grafton Village, Tavern Select and Cave Aged brand names. Grafton’s Cave Aged line selectively introduces new raw milk cheeses, including cheddars and other artisanal cheeses, created by Grafton’s master cheesemaker Dane Huebner. As part of the nonprofit Windham Foundation, much of Grafton Cheese’s annual earned income funds the Foundation’s charitable programs. More information on Grafton Village Cheese Company can be found online at graftonvillagecheese.com.
About the Windham Foundation
Headquartered in Grafton, Vermont, the Windham Foundation is an operating foundation engaged in philanthropic, charitable and educational activities. Since its inception in 1963, its mission is to promote the vitality of Grafton and Vermont’s rural communities through its philanthropic and educational programs and its subsidiaries whose operations contribute to these endeavors. The Foundation is the owner of Grafton Village Cheese Co., The Grafton Inn, and the Retreat Farm in Brattleboro. www.WindhamFoundation.org
Source: Windham Foundation