Guggisberg’s Ziller wins gold at national cheese contest
Guggisberg Cheese’s Ziller was awarded gold at the 2025 United States Championship Cheese Contest. Ziller, the newest addition to the Guggisberg product line, took the top spot in the Baby Swiss class with a score of 99.05 out of 100.
Guggisberg Ziller also was selected as a finalist and one of the nation’s top 20 cheeses in the championship round of judging.
The U.S. Championship Cheese Contest is hosted by the Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association and takes place every other year, alternating with the World Championship Cheese Contest. It is the largest technical evaluation of cheese, butter and yogurt in the country and is considered to be the most prestigious of national dairy competitions.
This year’s contest was held March 5 and 6 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin and saw over 2,400 entries from 31 states. The submissions are split into classes and scored on a 100-point scale by a panel of professional judges from within the industry. The cheese is judged on flavor, texture, body, appearance and color. Swiss cheese in particular also is judged on eye formation, which makes it an especially difficult cheese to perfect. The three highest-scoring cheeses in each category are awarded trophies and recognition as the nation’s best.
Guggisberg attributes this honor to the craftsmanship and dedication of its employees and to the milk supplied by local farmers.