Above: Cheese.

Cheese makers and enthusiasts flocked to the Monona Terrace in Madison earlier this month for American Cheese Society Annual Conference and Competition, the granddaddy of national cheese competitions. According to the heavytable.com review of the event over 900 attendees gathered for four days in Wisconsin for the first time in 15 years to talk dairy, chow down and compete.

There were almost 1,800 submissions in this year’s competition, and though we did not claim the Best in Show prize this year (that went to a cheese from Vermont), Wisconsin bleu the competition out of the water with 90 total awards; California came in a not so close second with 35 awards. Thirteen of the 90 awards were given to Carr Valley Cheese Company based in La Valle, and Bleu Mont Dairy cheese-whiz Will Lehner had two cheeses (Big Sky Grana and Bandaged Cheddar) tie for third place overall; a competition first. A full list of winners can be found here.