Point Reyes Farmstead Lands Two Medals at the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest

Point Reyes Farmstead Lands Two Medals at the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest

At the 2026 edition of the World Championship Cheese Contest, one of the world’s most respected dairy competitions, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company brought home two medals — proving that bold blues continue to have a moment.

The women-owned California creamery earned Best of Class and a Gold Medal for its aromatic Fennel Blue, while its beloved Bay Blue took home Bronze in its category.

And these weren’t easy wins. The competition featured 3,375 entries from producers across 24 countries, judged by 56 dairy experts from 22 nations over three intense days of tasting, scoring, and technical evaluation.

The cheeses that impressed the judges

Fennel Blue, the contest’s Best of Class winner, layers fennel seeds into the creamery’s rustic, natural-rinded blue base. The result: a bold but balanced cheese where savory blue notes meet a subtle licorice-like sweetness. Since debuting in 2024, it’s quickly become a cult favorite among cheese lovers who like their blues with a twist.

Meanwhile, Bay Blue — a longtime staple from the creamery — continues to charm judges and shoppers alike. Its texture leans creamy and slightly fudgy, with a mellow blue profile and a finish often described as sweet and caramel-like. It’s the kind of gateway blue that wins over skeptics while still satisfying serious blue cheese fans.

A global cheese showdown

Hosted every two years by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, the World Championship Cheese Contest has been running since 1957 and remains the largest technical dairy evaluation in the world.

This year’s contest took place March 3–5 at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison, where judges evaluated cheeses across 150 categories. Each entry is meticulously scored on elements like flavor, texture, appearance, salt balance, and finish.

For cheese lovers, results like these are more than just medals — they’re a roadmap to what deserves a spot on your next cheese board.

And if bold, creamy blues with a little personality are your thing, it looks like Point Reyes just handed you two excellent excuses to indulge.

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