Rogue River Blue Helps Lead Creamery At Cheese Version Of Oscars

PORTLAND, OR — When you're number one in the world, everyone's gunning for you. It can be a real (g)rind.

Just ask Rogue Creamery's Rogue River Blue. Last year, it curdled the competition at the World Cheese Awards and was named the Best Cheese in the World. At the International Cheese & Dairy Awards last week, they followed it up with two gold medals.

Rogue River Blue won gold medals for Best Organic Cheese not made in the United Kingdom and Best USA Blue Cheese.

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"Recognition at the International Cheese Awards is a tremendous honor," Rogue Creamery president David Gremmels said. "It's testament to the expertise of our cheesemakers and affineurs, and to the dedication and passion shared by every individual in our company."

The annual awards draw cheesemakers from around the world and are considered the Oscars of cheese.

Rogue's Blue wasn't the only winner for the Creamery in the Best Blue Cheese not made in the UK category. Their Caveman Blue brought home a Silver medal.

The creamery also won:

• gold for Best New Dairy Product (Non-UK) with its Enraptured Blanc, a blue cheese soaked in a white wine vintners blend, introduced in December 2020 and exclusively available at Whole Foods Market;
• silver for its Smokey Blue, a blue cheese cold-smoked over Oregon hazelnut shells, took silver in the Naturally Smoked Cheese (Non-UK) category;
• gold for Best Naturally-Smoked Hard Cheese not made in the UK for its Smoky Touvelle, an original recipe hard cheese; and
• gold for Label Design Presented on a Branded Pack for its new line of exact-weight retail wedges.

"Our motto is 'Quality Without Compromise,'" Gremmels said "I'm filled with pride to receive these awards. They’re proof that we're living up to our aspirations and continuing to raise the bar with every cheese we create."

The next stop for Rogue and its cheese will be at the World Cheese Awards in Spain next week. Rogue Blue will try for a repeat.