Denver, CO (August 8, 2011) — Rogue River Blue from Rogue Creamery in Central Point, OR was named
―Best of Show‖ at the 27
th Annual American Cheese Society (ACS) Judging & Competition on August 5. The
results were announced in a ceremony at the 28th Annual ACS Conference, held at the Palais des congrès in
Montréal, Québec, Canada from August 3-6.

Finica Food Specialties Limited in Ontario and Carr Valley Cheese Co. in Wisconsin tied for 2nd Place – for
Finica’s Lindsay Bandaged Goat Cheddar, produced by Mariposa Dairy, and Carr Valley’s Cave Aged Marisa.
Québec’s Fromagerie Du Presbytère took 3rd place for its Louis d’Or.

This is the second Best of Show win for Rogue River Blue. It previously won in 2009 at the ACS Conference
& Competition in Austin, TX. Rogue River Blue is handmade using autumnal equinox milk from Brown Swiss
and Holstein cows’ milk. The cows graze in 1,650 foot elevation pastures along the Rogue River, where they
eat a variety of grasses, wild herbs, and wild flowers supplemented with grass hay, alfalfa and grain grown on
the ranch. The five pound wheels are made by hand and aged in specially-constructed caves. The cheese
ripens from naturally occurring molds found in the Rogue River Valley. After maturation, the cheese is
wrapped in Syrah grape leaves from Carpenter Hill Vineyard which have been macerated in Clear Creek pear
brandy and tied to the wheel with raffia. The cheese is released annually starting in September.

Cary Bryant, Co-owner and Cheese Maker at Rogue Creamery, says of the company’s second Best of Show
win: ―We are honored by this recognition of Rogue River Blue, an American blue that represents the flavors of
our region. We enter the ACS Competition and Judging annually for the score sheets. Both technical and
aesthetic cheese judges from around the world participate in this competition and provide us with invaluable
feedback on the cheeses they score. The Best of Show for us not only celebrates Rogue River Blue as the
finest cheese in North America, but it showcases our teams’ dedication to quality from the dairy, to the make
room, aging caves and packaging. It takes a team of talented and passionate people dedicated to making the
world’s finest handmade cheese to make this happen. ―

The annual ACS Conference & Competition – a gathering of cheesemakers, merchandisers, retailers,
distributors, academicians, food writers, and enthusiasts from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe –
celebrates American artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheese. The 2011 Competition saw a record number of
entries: 1,676 cheeses and cultured milk products from 258 companies in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. For
a full list of winners, visit http://www.cheesesociety.org/competition/2011-acs-judging-competition-winners/

The 29th Annual ACS Conference and 28th Annual ACS Judging & Competition will take place in Raleigh,
North Carolina from August 1-4, 2012.