French cheese crowned champion at world competition in Madison

MADISON, Wis. (WISC) -- Five Wisconsin cheeses were finalists in the World Championship Cheese Contest, but none took home the gold.

The winner of the 2018 Cheese Contest was a sheep's milk cheese made in France at Mauleon Fromagerie. The cheese was made by Michel Touyarou and imported by Savencia Cheese USA in Pennsylvania. It scored a 98.376 out of 100. The cheese is aged 90 days and had nutty and toasted wheat tastes.

The first runner-up of the competition was a cow's milk cheese aged in a silver mine. It was made by Franz Moestl and Team of Almenland Stollenkäse in Austria. It scored a 98.267.

The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association announced the winner of the three-day contest Thursday night at the Monona Terrace.

There were cheese-makers from 26 countries competing in the contest. The United States won 87 gold medals out of the total 121. Wisconsin earned 47 gold medals, and had five finalists for the best cheese. The contest had 3,402 entries.