Even knowing how it ends, “The Big Cheese” was a nail biter. I saw this quirky documentary about a cheese competition a few months ago in Napa Valley, an early theater screening for a fundraiser. Now it’s available for rent (on Apple TV, Google Play and Amazon), which means you can watch it the right way: with a glass of wine, a cheese board and friends.
Read moreThe Girls Got It Done
Photo: AlexandreAlloul.com
First at last! Almost 50 years after American vintners upended the wine world by beating the French, an American cheesemonger has done the same, topping the podium at the recent Mondial du Fromage, a biannual competition informally known as the Cheese Olympics. And the story gets better.
Read moreU.S. Cheesemongers Vie for World Champion
Photo: Janee' Muha
Will an American be the next World Champion Cheesemonger? It could happen, although it never has. But this year is different. This year, a small army is working mightily to clinch the title for Team U.S.A. The U.S. has two entrants—Courtney Johnson from the Seattle area and Sam Rollins from Portland, Oregon—who will be competing against each other and against 14 mongers from other nations at the biannual contest in France in September.
Read moreHe’s the Big Cheese Now
Photos: Ellen Cronin
Not every person behind every cheese counter is a passionate cheese enthusiast. But many who are dream of competing in the Cheesemonger Invitational, the semi-annual smackdown that crowns a victor after two days of grueling tests and contests. Evaluated on their skills at selling, cutting, tasting and pairing, the participants engage in friendly battle intended to raise the stature of their craft.
Read moreWe Have a Winner
She is California’s first-ever winner of the Cheesemonger Invitational, and she prevailed in a landslide. Jessica Lawrenz, you rock. The 32-year-old monger from San Diego vanquished 34 other contestants from around the country in this grueling test of talent. She cut, she wrapped, she paired, she plated. And then, she almost blew it.
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