How the World’s Best Cheese Is Crowned

Thousands of cheeses from around the world compete in Madison, Wisconsin, as expert judges taste, score, and debate to crown the 2026 World Champion Cheese.

Cheeses are organized by class for judging, with each judge placing chips on their preferred cheeses. Courtesy of Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association

When someone tells me “free cheese samples,” I pay attention. From March 3 to March 5, I attended the World Cheese Championship, hosted biennially (in even-numbered years) by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) in Madison, Wisconsin.

A Global Gathering of Cheesemakers

The WCMA dates back to 1893, when cheesemakers, concerned about the quality of the cheese they were seeing around them, came together to protect the prestige of Wisconsin cheese. In 1957, they hosted their first world cheese competition. It began with five countries and a bunch of cheddars. By 2026, the three-day event brought 3,375 products from 25 countries and 34 states to compete in 150 classes, including cheese spreads, butter, and yogurt, all vying for the ultimate prize: World Champion Cheese.

For the first two days, the event is open to the public. Many people are on hand to nab samples of the competing cheeses after they’ve been judged in their classes, and to attend tastings and presentations.