5 years ago

Monger Madness: Help us pick the ultimate cheese champion

Eight cheeses. Three weeks. Seven taste-offs. Who will be the champion of cheese? The king of queso? The finest of fromage? Join us for Monger Madness, in stores now through April 3, 2019.

Vote for your favorites by texting CHEESE to 55955.* When you cast your vote, you’ll receive a $5-off coupon for cheese and be entered for a chance to win a $100 Lunds & Byerlys gift card!

This year, eight popular cheeses will be facing off in the ultimate cheese-tasting event of the year. Meet the competitors:

Westminster Rustic Red Cheddar

  • Made in the Somerset region of the United Kingdom.
  • Rustic Red Cheddar is a happy accident, created when a helveticus culture was added to a savory cheddar recipe by mistake.
  • Sweet, nutty caramelized notes combined with a little savory bite. 
  • The helveticus culture creates this cheese’s signature snap/crumble when you taste it.
  • Pairs well with a spicy red wine, such as an aged Zinfandel or Malbec.

Old Amsterdam Gouda

  • Gold-medal winner! Tastes like a young Parmigiano-Reggiano crossed with an aged Dutch Gouda.
  • Rich, nutty, robust flavor and firm texture.
  • Made in Holland from local pasteurized cow’s milk and imported Italian cultures; aged over twelve months. 
  • Perfect with a glass of fine wine or port.

Manchego Young

  • The most popular cheese in Spain and their #1 exported cheese. 
  • 100% sheep’s milk cheese with a green, gray, or black cross hatch pattern on natural, inedible rind. Usually aged 3 to 14 months.
  • Flavorful but mild with a nutty, tangy, sweet and slightly salty finish. Firm and dry, yet rich and creamy.

Oscar Wilde Cheddar

  • Made from the milk of pasture grazing cows, in the Irish Cheddar style. Aged around 2 years.
  • Named after the famous Irish poet.
  • Each block is carefully selected and hand-graded.
  • Rich and nutty with a distinctly creamy taste and a firm, smooth texture. Finishes with a playful, tangy bite.

Carr Valley Cranberry Chipotle Cheddar 

  • Wisconsin white cheddar studded with cranberries and chipotle peppers, made from pasteurized cultured cow’s milk.
  • The perfect balance of tart and spicy, where the heat sneaks up on the finish.
  • Delicious sliced up into your favorite sandwich. Also works well on grilled chicken or burgers.
  • Created by Sid Cook, 4th generation Master Cheesemaker. Carr Valley is owned and operated by the Cook family.
  • Awarded 2nd Place 2017 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest

Grand Noir Blue

  • A triple-cream blue cheese made from the milk of Swiss brown cows that graze in the Allgau region of Bavaria, Germany. 
  • Aged for several months in its waxy black mantle, like wine in a cask.
  • Gluten free, lactose free and rBGH free.
  • Grand Noir received Best of Class in the blue veined cheese category at the World Championship Cheese Contest in 2016.

Tomme St. Georges

  • Semi-soft sheep’s milk cheese, aged 3-6 months.
  • Made in the French Alps by Société Fromagère de Riom.
  • A cross between Ossau Iraty and a traditional French Tomme such as Tomme de Savoie.
  • Most Tomme-style cheeses produced in the French and Swiss Alps use cow’s milk, but Tomme Saint Georges breaks with that tradition. 
  • This washed-rind cheese’s name comes from the small town where it’s made, Saint Georges.

Sartori BellaVitano Black Pepper

  • An American original cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk. Made in Antigo, Wisconsin.
  • Aged around 8 months.
  • Savory and full-bodied, with a rich, nutty, creamy taste. Has the creaminess of a cheddar, but the flavor profile of a nutty Parmesan. Rubbed with course ground black pepper to impart a spicy bite.
  • A Sartori family original, made by several Master Cheesemakers. This gourmet cheese is a celebrated silver-medal winner at the 2014 World Cheese Awards.
  • Pairs well with Chianti, Chardonnay, light red wine, India pale ale, American pale ale, Trappist style beer.

Taste-off schedule:

March 7-10: Round 1, Game 1
Westminster Rustic Red vs. Old Amsterdam

March 11-14: Round 1, Game 2
Manchego Young vs. Oscar Wilde Cheddar

March 15-18: Round 1, Game 3
Carr Valley Cranberry Chipotle Cheddar vs. Grand Noir Blue

March 19-22: Round 1, Game 4
Tomme St. Georges vs. BellaVitano Black Pepper

March 23-26: Semi-Finalists, Game 1
Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

March 27-30: Semi-Finalists, Game 2
Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4

March 31 – April 3: Championship Matchup
Winner of Semi-Final 1 vs. Winner of Semi-Final 2

April 4: Champion Announced

Stop by our deli between March 7 and April 3, taste these magnificent cheeses for yourself and help us choose the 2019 winner!

*Message and data rates may apply. Periodic messaging. Text STOP to cancel, HELP for help to 55955. By voting you agree to receive 3 marketing text messages, which may be sent through an automatic telephone dialing system, from Lunds & Byerlys at the mobile number provided. By voting, you are confirming you are over the age of 13. Opt-in not required as a condition to purchase goods and services from Lunds & Byerlys.