2026 Ohio State Fair Cheese Contest
Grand Champion and Reserve Champion cheesemakers were selected on Thursday, July 23 at the 2026 Ohio State Fair Cheese Contest held at Miceli Dairy Products in Cleveland.
The American Dairy Association Mideast, which coordinated the event, is pleased to announce that Pearl Valley Cheese of Fresno received the Grand Champion award for its Swiss cheese. As is tradition in the Ohio State Fair Cheese Contest, the Grand Champion Cheese is selected from entries in the Swiss class.
Following that selection, judges choose the Reserve Champion Cheese from among the first-place winners in all contest classes, recognizing the competition’s overall outstanding cheese. This year’s Reserve Champion award was presented to Urban Stead Cheese of Cincinnati for its Nati Gouda.
Winners of the contest by classification are as follows:
Swiss Class
First Place: Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno
Second Place: Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno
Other Swiss Class
First Place: Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno – Baby Swiss
Second Place: Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno – Lacey Baby
Mild Cheddar Class
First Place: Snowville Creamery, Pomeroy
Second Place: Middlefield Original Cheese, Middlefield
Third Place: Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati
Aged Cheddar Class
First Place: Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati
Second Place: Middlefield Original Cheese, Middlefield
Surface Mold Bloomy Class
First Place: Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati – Misty River Camembert
Second Place: Black Radish Creamery, Granville – Bankston
Third Place: Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland – Lapworth Peppercorn
Bacteria Ripened Class
First Place: Black Radish Creamery, Granville – Pious
Second Place: Black Radish Creamery, Granville – Raclette
Third Place: Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland – High Heaven Triple Cream
Spreadable Class
First Place: Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati – Pineapple Jalapeno Quark
Second Place: Miceli Dairy Products, Cleveland – Impasta
Third Place: Blue Jacket Dairy, Bellefontaine – Quark
Cheese Curd Class
First Place: Blue Jacket Dairy, Bellefontaine – Garlic
Second Place: Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati – Plain
Third Place: Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Mixed
Open Class – Traditional
First Place: Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Co-Jack
Second Place: Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno – Colby
Third Place: Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno – Marbled
Open Class – Flavored
First Place: Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Colby Bacon
Second Place: Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Garlic Dill
Third Place: Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Garlic Chive
Open Class – Spicy
First Place: Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Horseradish
Second Place: Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Pepper Jack
Third Place: Biery Cheese Co., Louisville – Horseradish
Rind or Permeable Rind Class
First Place: Urban Stead Cheese, Cincinnati – Nati Gouda
Second Place: Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Muenster
Third Place: Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Gouda
Smoked Class
First Place: Pearl Valley Cheese, Fresno – Smoked Swiss
Second Place: Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Smoked Thunder Jack
Third Place: Tri-State Cheese, Hicksville – Smoked Habanero
Other Mammal Class
First Place: Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland – Trafalgar Cognac
Second Place: Blue Jacket Dairy, Bellefontaine – Chevre
Third Place: Marchant Manor Cheese, Cleveland – Elmstead
Judges for the contest included Steve Funk of Nelson-Jameson Inc, Aileen Kacvinsky of Schuman Cheese, Frank McWhirter of Great Lakes Cheese and Bill Rufenacht of the Dairy Connection. Scores verified by Mary Wilcox of Significant Outcomes LLC.
Click here for a list of Ohio cheesemakers who offer their delicious products at their store or online.
