Article: The big cheese: in the land of Velveeta, who would have believed that the business of making sophisticated, artisan cheeses would be exploding and 1,208 varieties would be competing for Best in Show at the U.S. championships in Vermont? Is American cheese the new American wine? One of the judges, cheesemonger Matthew Rubiner, has the answer.

ON THE LAST day of July, 30 professional cheese judges gathered in Burlington, Vermont, to sniff, taste, critique, and eventually spit (in order to avoid not intoxication, as with wine-tasting, but a horribly full stomach) more than a thousand cheeses--the largest such competition in U.S. history. The American Cheese Society, the main trade association for small-scale cheese producers, holds the contest each year as a prelude to its annual conference. The ACS awards are prestigious and potentially lucrative. A Best in Class brings a small cheesemaker recognition beyond the local farmers' market or food co-op and can guarantee a coveted spot in a top cheesemonger's shop. A Best ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!