Grafton's Master Cheesemaker Dane Huebner impresses judges with new cheeses

For over a century, Grafton Village Cheese has been handmaking world-class cheddars at its small-batch Vermont creamery, and with recent success at the prestigious World Cheese Awards, Grafton's newest cheeses are proving to be as celebrated as its classic cheddars. Taking place on November 23, 2011 in Birmingham, England, the World Cheese Awards is the leading and most diverse cheese competition in the world. Grafton Village Cheese received five awards, including one gold and four bronze medals, all from its new Grafton Cave Aged line. Grafton Village Cheese's Vermont Clothbound Cheddar earned a gold medal in the medium traditional cheddar category, and its Barndance and Shepsog cheeses received bronze awards in the category for cheese made from the milk of more than one animal. Grafton's Truffled Bismark earned bronze in the ewes' milk cheese with added flavors category and its Red Vask earned bronze in the category for new cheese. Two hundred and sixteen international cheese judges evaluated 2,700 different cheeses from around the globe. "Grafton's cave-aging facility and accessibility to local, premium raw milk has allowed me to create some really unique mixed-milk varieties," said Dane Huebner, Master Cheesemaker at Grafton Village Cheese. "I'm extremely excited about the recognition our newest cheeses are receiving, especially on an international level." The gold medal-winning Vermont Clothbound Cheddar is one of the creamery's newer varieties from the Cave Aged specialty line. This classic clothbound cheddar is wrapped in cheesecloth to retain natural moisture while it slowly ages in Grafton's aging caves. The Cave Aged Clothbound delivers a very bold cheese flavor with both nut and mushroom notes. Also from the Cave Aged line, the bronze-winning Barndance is a semi-hard sheep's milk cheese that is accented with cow's milk, and the Truffled Bismark is a sheep's milk cheese made with white and black truffles along with truffle-infused oil that provides a bold, rich taste that gets better with age. These Cave Aged cheeses, along with three other varieties, will be available in small quantities exclusively in specialty cheese shops and online at GraftonVillageCheese.com starting in 2012. The Shepsog and Red Vask cheeses are both new, original creations that have just been released. The Shepsog is a mixed milk cheese that is made with sheep and cow's milk and aged for a minimum of five months in the caves. This cheese features complex, earthy flavors and is initially covered in a white mold and then allowed to mature with other molds. The Red Vask is a 100 percent sheep's milk cheese with a bright-red rind and white paste. It is a semi-soft washed rind cheese and is aged for a minimum of two months to develop a mellow, smooth and meaty flavor. For more information about Grafton Village Cheese please visit www.graftonvillagecheese.com. About Grafton Village Cheese Grafton Village Cheese, located in Grafton, Vermont, hand makes artisanal raw milk cheeses and is best known for their award winning cheddars. The company was founded in 1892 as the Grafton Cooperative Cheese Company, which converted surplus milk from local dairy farmers into cheese. Years later, a fire destroyed the original factory. When the Windham Foundation restored the company in the mid 1960s, a new era for the town was born. Today, quality and taste continue to serve as the hallmark of Grafton cheddar. Grafton Village cheddars are sold under the Grafton Village, Tavern Select and Cave Aged brand names. Grafton's Cave Aged line selectively introduces new raw milk cheeses, including cheddars and other artisanal cheeses, created by Grafton's master cheesemaker Dane Huebner. As part of the nonprofit Windham Foundation, much of Grafton Cheese's annual earned income funds the Foundation's charitable programs. More information on Grafton Village Cheese Company can be found online at graftonvillagecheese.com . About the Windham Foundation Headquartered in Grafton, Vermont, the Windham Foundation is an operating foundation engaged in philanthropic, charitable and educational activities. Since its inception in 1963, its mission is to promote the vitality of Grafton and Vermont's rural communities through its philanthropic and educational programs and its subsidiaries whose operations contribute to these endeavors. The Foundation is the owner of Grafton Village Cheese Co., the Grafton Inn, and the Retreat Farm in Brattleboro. www.Windham-Foundation.org 12.06.2011