For three days in early August at Stocking Hall, a handful of judges saw, sniffed and sampled 234 cheeses in 24 categories - all of it made in New York.
The judges whittled the field down to a small group of contenders, then determined the top cheeses. Winners will be announced Aug. 29 - Dairy Day at the Great New York State Fair.
Charles Lindberg, retired chief dairy inspector for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, slices pieces of cheese during judging at Cornell.
"For cheesemakers, it's all about bragging rights," said judge Rob Ralyea, a senior extension associate in food science. "When you go to a cheese shop and you see a regular cheese next to a blue-ribbon winner, which one are you going to buy? You're intrigued, so you might try it and you might find that it is good, really good. It's an eye-catcher for cheesemakers."
The judges - dairy professionals from industry, academia and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets - encountered piquant and pleasant samples of hard sharp cheeses; smooth yogurts; luscious cottage cheese; and soft, velvety bites of brie wrapped in aromatic rinds. They enjoyed tangy flavors and swatches of smelly cheese that turned out to taste good.
Contest Winners
The winners of the 2019 Dairy Products Competition were announced Aug. 29 at the New York State Fair.
Judges named Yancey's Fancy "Chastinet" cheese the Grand Champion. The company is located in Corfu, New York.
Three products received a perfect score of 100 in their respective categories:
- In the cream cheese category, Temptee Cream Cheese from Kraft Heinz in Lowville, New York;
- In the buttermilk category, Reduced Fat No Salt Buttermilk from Saputo in Friendship, New York; and
- In the flavored yogurt category, Pineapple 0% Greek Yogurt from Byrne Hollow Farm in Cortland, New York.
