Caputo Brothers Creamery earned top honors for excellence in artisan cheesemaking with a first place win at the 34th annual American Cheese Society Competition (ACS) held this year in Denver, Colorado on July 28. In the first year of submitting an aged cheese to the Competition, Caputo Brothers Creamery’s Ricotta Salata Vecchio won first place in the Traditional Regional Italian Cheese category. The Ricotta Salata Vecchio is made from the Creamery’s whey-based ricotta, salted and aged for at least 6 weeks. This cheese is higher in moisture than traditional ricotta salata, allowing for a natural rind development that gives the cheese a distinct flavor.

After studying the original product in Italy, cheesemaker Bill McGinnis knew that he wanted to master this cheese. “I knew as soon as we developed our new aging cave, that this was the first cheese I wanted to perfect. It’s a real thrill to see Vecchio recognized by the cheese community.” This year, 281 companies across 36 U.S. states, four Canadian provinces, as well as Mexico and Colombia submitted a record 2,024 cheeses for this year’s ACS Judging and Competition, held during the ACS Annual Conference July 26-29. Founded in 1983, ACS encourages the highest standards of cheesemaking, focused on safety and sustainability. The goal of the ACS Judging and Competition is to give positive recognition to those cheeses that are of the highest aesthetic and technical quality.