U.S. Championship Cheese Contest at Lambeau

GREEN BAY - Cheeseheads of a different sort are taking over the Lambeau Field Atrium.

That’s where the United States Championship Cheese Contest is taking place.

For the next three days, 26 experts will examine, sniff and taste more than 30,000 pounds of cheese and butter. The best cheeses in 73 different classes will be awarded gold medals.

“These folks are looking for very specific defects. They are downgrading cheese starting at 100 points and looking for flaws like it’s too bitter, it’s too salty, it’s too flat. There are about 56 adjectives they use to describe cheese,” said John Umhoefer, executive director of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, the event host.

Once the 73 best are selected, a Championship Round is held.

“Thursday morning we are going to take all of the gold medal cheeses, we are going to judge them in a final round and we are going to name one U.S. Champion cheese,” said Umhoefer.

In addition to the contest, nationally recognized cheese sculptor Sarah “The Cheese Lady” is working on a salute to the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.

If you are interested in stopping by the event, it is free and open to the public.