California Cow's Milk Cheesemakers Eclipse Competition With 22 Awards At Prestigious National Judging.

Business Editors/Food & Beverage Writers

MODESTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 5, 2002

Industry Pioneers Honored Alongside Emerging Artisan Producers at

Annual American Cheese Society Conference

California's reputation as a powerhouse in artisan and farmstead cheesemaking was given fresh momentum last weekend with a spate of top awards from what is regarded to be one of the industry's fiercest competitions, held at the 19th Annual Conference of the American Cheese Society (ACS) Aug. 1-3 in Washington, D.C. In all, the state's cow's milk cheesemakers raked in 22 awards -- 10 of them first-place -- more than any other state for the cow's milk categories.

In addition to the 10 first-place nods, California won seven second-place awards and five third-place awards. Winners included long-established cheesemakers such as Marin French Cheese Company (founded in 1865 and considered the country's oldest cheesemaking operation), recipient of eight awards for its soft-ripened cheeses. Relative newcomers such as Fiscalini Farms, Whitehall Estates Cheese Company and Three Sisters Farmstead Cheese collected awards in the judging's most competitive categories, American Originals and Farmhouse Cheeses. Among these wins were a first-place award for Fiscalini's newest cheese, a bandage cheddar; a second-place win for Whitehall's recently-debuted Mount Diablo; and a third-place award for Three Sisters' Serena.

Nancy Fletcher, Director of Communications for the California Milk Advisory Board, said this year's wins were significant for recognizing both California's rich 200-plus year cheesemaking tradition and its contemporary role as an innovator whose cheeses have been acknowledged as rivaling Europe's finest. "What is so special about this year's awards is the dual recognition for both our state's oldest cheesemaking operations -- one of whom has been making cheese for more than 100 years -- and new cheesemakers who have debuted original cheeses within the last year," said Fletcher. "These wins symbolize not only the rapid progress we've made in recent years, but a strong legacy of quality cheesemaking."

California produced 1.64 billion pounds of cheese in 2001 and boasts 64 cheesemakers who produce more than 160 varieties and styles of cheese, more than double the 70 varieties and styles the state produced in 1995.

The ACS is a prestigious national organization that encourages education, promotion and appreciation of specialty and farmstead cheesemaking. The organization's annual conference bestows awards to the country's finest cheesemakers in the annual judging held at the conference.

California cow's milk cheeses were granted top honors with 10 first-place awards, seven second-place awards and five third-place awards. Winners include:

First-Place Awards:

-- Fiscalini Farms, Modesto, CA San Joaquin Gold, American Originals. Smoked Cheddar, Smoked Cheeses.

-- Marin French Cheese Company, Petaluma, CA Triple Onion Quark, Low-Fat/Low-Salt Cheese. Peppercorn Brie, Soft-Ripened Cheese.

-- Three Sisters Farmstead Cheese, Lindsay, CA Serena, Farmhouse Cheeses.

Second-Place Awards:

-- Fiscalini Farms, Modesto, CA San Joaquin Gold, American Originals. Smoked Cheddar, Smoked Cheeses.

-- Marin French Cheese Company, Petaluma, CA Triple Onion Quark, Low-Fat/Low-Salt Cheese. Peppercorn Brie, Soft-Ripened Cheese.

-- Three Sisters Farmstead Cheese, Lindsay, CA Serena, Farmhouse Cheeses.

Third-Place Awards:

-- Fiscalini Farms, Modesto, CA San Joaquin Gold, American Originals. Smoked Cheddar, Smoked Cheeses.

-- Marin French Cheese Company, Petaluma, CA Triple Onion Quark, Low-Fat/Low-Salt Cheese. Peppercorn Brie, Soft-Ripened Cheese.

-- Three Sisters Farmstead Cheese, Lindsay, CA Serena, Farmhouse Cheeses.

Established in 1969, the CMAB is headquartered in Modesto, California and is one of the largest marketing boards in the United States, serving more than 2,200 dairy families. Under the dairy umbrella, the CMAB executes generic advertising, retail and food service promotions, milk quality improvement and research programs on behalf of California dairy products, including Real California Cheese.

More information on California cheese is available at www.RealCaliforniaCheese.com.