Jasper Hill Farm secured the Best of Show title at the 2026 American Cheese Society competition. The winners were announced during the annual conference on Wednesday evening in Louisville, Kentucky. Several other offerings from the cheesemaker earned Best in Category wins, contributing to a record number of awards for Vermont-made artisan cheeses.
Out of more than 1,600 entries from across North America, two cheeses from Jasper Hill Farm placed among the top 10 highest scorers. The winning cheese, Winnimere, is a raw milk soft-ripened cheese made using milk from the farm’s own herd. The cheese is produced exclusively during the fall and winter when the cows consume dry summer hay and their milk contains the highest concentration of butterfat.
During the production process, young wheels of Winnimere are wrapped with a strip of locally harvested spruce bark to provide structure and a woodsy aroma. The cheese is washed with a salt brine during cave ripening to develop a rosy natural rind and distinct smoky flavors. This year’s win marks the second Best of Show title for Winnimere, which previously won the award in 2013…