The World Championship Cheese Contest® is the world’s premier technical cheese, butter, and yogurt competition. The World Contest has been hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association biennially since 1957.
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The next World Championship Cheese Contest will be held March 3-5, 2026, at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
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Entries are evaluated by a team of skilled technical judges from all over the world. Starting from a maximum possible 100 points, deductions are made for various defects found by each judge. Defects are noted in the areas of flavor, body and texture, salt, color, finish, packaging, and other appropriate attributes. A Gold medal, Silver medal and Bronze medal are awarded to the three highest-scoring entries in each class.

CheeseExpo brings together over 4,000 leaders, suppliers, and professionals from across the cheese, butter, whey and cultured dairy products processing industry. It’s the only event that combines in-depth educational sessions, high-value networking, exciting celebrations honoring industry excellence, and a massive exhibit floor showcasing the latest innovations.

Your hosts Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) promise an exciting event. You won't want to miss it!

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