Best of Show: America’s Prize Cheeses in the Case

Fromagerie La Station won for a second year in a row. Even better, both winning cheeses are in our case right now. And you need to get your hands on them.

The American Cheese Society crowns the best cheeses made in the Americas, and this year Quebec’s Fromagerie La Station repeated as overall champion, winning back-to-back top honors. “It’s unreal for us,” says Martin Bolduc, one of the three brothers who run the creamery.

Founded in 2004, Fromagerie La Station milks 140 Canadian Holsteins and turns every drop into cheese. This year’s Best of Show, Alfred Le Fermier, their signature cheese, is named after the brothers’ great grandfather. The Alpine-style raw cow’s milk cheese has a sunset-yellow rind that carries a gentle woodsy scent. The satin-smooth paste has subtle layers of fruit, caramel, and honey aromas. Serve it just shy of room temperature with crisp apples or roasted nuts. Pour a Chenin Blanc or a nimble red like Gamay.

Their 2024 winner, the Raclette de Compton au Poivre, is a farmhouse, organic cow’s-milk raclette with a copper-tinted washed rind and a temperament made for heat. Aged 60 to 90 days, the paste is semi-soft, supple, and obligingly melty. It’s buttery rich with notes of sweet chestnut. A vein of organic pink peppercorns runs through the center. Melt it over boiled potatoes or roasted squash — or enjoy it simply with your favorite bread. For wine, try it with your favorite alpine white or a bright Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. 

We’ve got about a wheel of each remaining, so don’t dally!