Rogue Creamery & Rogue River Blue
At the 26th Annual American Cheese Society Competition in Austin, Rogue Creamery’s Rogue River Blue was crowned Best in Show beating out 1326 other entries. The ACS is the largest cheese competition in North America, and is often referred to as the “Super Bowl of Cheese”. This year’s competition featured a record setting number of entries.
The creamery is owned by Cary Bryant and David Gremmels and located in Central Point, Oregon. “We are honored by this recognition of Rogue River Blue an American blue which represents the flavors of our region. We enter the ACS Competition and Judging annually for the score sheets. Both technical and aesthetic cheese judges from around the world participate in this competition and provide invaluable feedback on the cheeses they score. The Best of Show for us not only celebrates Rogue River Blue as the finest cheese in North America, but it showcases our teams dedication to quality from the dairy, to the make room, aging caves and packaging. It takes a team of talented and passionate people dedicated to making the world’s finest handmade cheese to make this happen”, said co –owner and cheesemaker Cary Bryant.
Rogue River Blue is a raw cow’s milk cheese based on the original Oregon Blue Vein recipe that the creamery’s founder brought back from Roquefort France. It is wrapped in Syrah grape leaves that have been hand selected from a local vineyard, Carpenter Hill, in Talent Oregon; the leaves have been macerated in Clear Creek Pear Brandy made from locally picked pears, and then the finished cheese is tied off with natural raffia for a beautiful presentation. The cheese is aged for over a year in caves to develop a unique blue that is like nothing else available anywhere.
This isn’t the first time that Rogue River Blue has made history; it was honored as World’s Best Blue at the 16th World Cheese Awards in London, England beating out entries from all over the world. This was the first time that an American blue cheese had ever won the title. The creamery also made history in 2007 by becoming the first American exporter of raw milk cheese to the EU.
Rogue Creamery has been making artisan cheeses in southern Oregon since 1935. They offer the only vertically integrated third party certified sustainable cheese in the United States. It’s local dairy, Rogue View, and creamery, Rogue Creamery, are both certified by Food Alliance, Steritech and Oregon Tilth. The company is dedicated to producing classic and original cheese in the finest tradition of artisan cheese makers — by hand, using the highest quality ingredients. As we like to say, our cheese delights the palate and fills the soul with passion.
More about 2009 Rogue River Blue:
Rogue River Blue is Rogue Creamery's original recipe put through a signature aging process. Taking a cue from centuries-old Alsatian and Provencal techniques (which featured brandy-soaked chestnut leaves), these rounds are lovingly hand-wrapped in local Carpenter Hill Vineyard Syrah leaves and Troon Vineyard Zinfandel leaves that have been macerated in Clear Creek Pear Brandy.
Color: Antique linen-hued paste with random toile-styled patterns of green blue veins. The surface is woven with royal gold hints of green blue mold and a white dusting of candidium. Rind is gracefully imprinted by its grape leaf wrapping.
Nose: The surface swells with sweet pear and grape aromas blanketing a lush, earthy forest floor with hints of morels, vanilla and chocolate.
Taste: Paste is sweet, spicy, buttery and reminiscent of vegetable. Its strong, well-aged flavor tastes of brandy and fruit. A creamy, crunchy-smooth texture conjures specks of rock candy dissolving like divinity.
Finish: Leaves hints of mushroom, bacon, cream, melted chocolate and fruit, overwhelming the senses like lobster or a cured steak.
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