We’ve teamed up with our friends at Wisconsin Cheese to introduce more stars from Wisconsin’s vibrant cheesemaking community. From the farmers who tend their cow herds to the cheesemakers who churn out wheel after wheel of award-winning cheese, America's Dairyland has a rich heritage that goes back more than 180 years.

Wisconsin is home to some of the world’s finest cheeses, most-awarded cheesemakers, and one of two Master Cheesemaker programs in the world—not to mention an ideal climate for dairying. The cheesemakers in this state are committed to a balance of tradition and innovation in every variety, texture, and flavor of cheese they produce. Whether it's a classic cheddar or an imaginative blue, one thing remains the same: Every cheese produced in this state is uniquely Wisconsin.

Dutch native turned Wisconsin cheesemaker Marieke Penterman founded Marieke Gouda after relocating to America's Dairyland and discovering the absence of authentic Gouda in local stores. Her desire for the Dutch cheese led Marieke to pursue a cheesemaker's license in Wisconsin and learn traditional Gouda techniques in the Netherlands. Today Marieke Gouda is synonymous with its exceptional quality, innovative flavors like Bacon and Foenegreek Gouda, and a growing slate of awards—250 and counting—including Best in Class in the 2024 World Championship Cheese Contest for her Young Gouda, Mature Gouda, and Young Golden Gouda. Marieke's journey reflects the deep commitment to craftsmanship, passion, and camaraderie shared by Wisconsin's cheesemaking community.

Joey Widmer, a fourth-generation cheesemaker at Wisconsin’s Widmer’s Cheese Cellars, has embraced his heritage by continuing to produce traditional Brick and Colby cheeses using age-old techniques. At the core of their offerings is Brick cheese, crafted since 1922 using original bricks for pressing the curds—a method inherited from Joey’s great-grandfather. This hands-on, labor-intensive process is a point of pride and distinctiveness, setting Widmer’s apart as they maintain historical practices while others automate. The dairy also innovates, creating new flavors like Jalapeno Pepper Brick and Matterhorn Alpine Cheddar, which won Best of Class in the United States Champion Cheese Contest in 2023. Joey's dedication to tradition and innovation underlines his commitment to preserving his family’s legacy while catering to modern tastes.

With a background in science and a passion for art, Madeleine Kuhn brings her unique cheesemaking sensibility to Wisconsin’s Roth Cheese, which has been producing award-winning cheeses for over three decades. Utilizing milk from local farms within a 60-mile radius, Madeleine is passionate about supporting small dairy operations while also adhering to traditional methods like using copper vats and aging cheese on wooden boards. Her innovative approach has contributed to Roth’s evolving product line, including the celebrated Grand Cru Surchoix, winner of the World Championship Cheese Contest. Fusing traditional craft with modern innovation, Madeleine has helped Roth rise to the top in Wisconsin’s competitive cheesemaking landscape.

Inspired by a whimsical curiosity about the moon, Wisconsin cheesemaker Ron Henningfeld created Hill Valley Dairy’s signature original: Luna. The nutty, crumbly, cheese embodies what he and his wife Josie imagined the moon would taste like, and its placements over the years in the World Cheese Championship and other contests has solidified its status as a cheese world star. Hill Valley also produces other award-winning artisan cheeses including cheddars, Goudas, and curds, all emphasizing Ron’s "milk-to-market" practice of directly turning quality milk from his brother’s farm into Hill Valley cheese. His approach not only guarantees freshness, but also nurtures a community around local, handcrafted cheese.

Seasonality is the name of the game when it comes to Uplands Cheese, an artisan cheesemaking operation situated on top of Pleasant Ridge in Dodgeville, WI in the state's driftless region (an area that lacks the characteristic glacial deposits from the last ice age). Andy Hatch is one of the cheesemakers responsible for turning the high-quality milk from their 140 cows into their two stunning cheeses: the raw milk, spruce bark-wrapped Rush Creek Reserve made in the fall when the cow's graze on hay and the three-time American Cheese Society Best in Show winner Pleasant Ridge Reserve, a raw milk, Alpine-style cheese that's made using grass-fed milk in the summer months. Andy and the folks at Uplands are committed to highlighting the special terroir the region has to offer.

Located in Plymouth, WI, Sartori is a fourth-generation, family owned artisan cheese company with Master Cheesemaker Pam Hodgson at the helm. Pam grew up on a dairy farm and started her career elsewhere in the dairy world, but it wasn't long before she was drawn to cheesemaking. As one of two women in the country to currently hold a Master Cheesemaker title, she's a huge proponent of mentoring other women in the cheesemaking community, especially since her own mentors—her mother and father—played such an important role in her dairy journey. Pam oversees the production of tried-and-true varieties like their Fontina, Parmesan, and Asiago, as well as Sartori's many cheesy innovations, including the one-of-a-kind Merlot BellaVitano® with its berry notes, creamy paste, and delightfully fruity edible rind.

Sid Cook is a fourth-generation cheesemaker and owner of Carr Valley Cheese in La Valle, WI. He's also a Master Cheesemaker certified in Cheddar, Fontina, Gran Canaria™, and Mixed-Milk Cheese who's known for his top-ranking American originals like Wildfire Blue, a smooth, mild cow's milk blue dotted with peperoncino peppers. With more than 700 national and international awards, Sid remains dedicated to producing the high-quality curds that Carr Valley's been known for since 1902—only now, their lineup includes a whopping 90 cheeses that span far beyond the artisanal aged cheddars of their past.

Chris Roelli's great-grandfather moved from Switzerland to Shullsburg, WI to pursue cheesemaking outside of Europe, and that's where Roelli Cheese Haus has stayed ever since, but they haven't stopped evolving. What was once a commodity cheddar factory is now an artisan cheese production where Master Cheesemaker Chris and his small-but-mighty team continue to build on his family's cheesemaking heritage—and don't worry, there's still plenty of cheddar to be had. The Penicillium roqueforti-spiked English-style cheddar, Dunbarton Blue, is the cheese Chris says put him on the map, followed by another award-winning cheddar-blue hybrid called Red Rock that's made with cow's milk, colored with annatto, and cave-aged to maturity.

Words by Madison Trapkin