Wisconsin breeds champions. No, we’re not talking about sports (though we have a proud history of that, too). We’re talking cheese—a World Champion cheese. Named after two French wine terms that mean ‘the best of the best,’ Roth Grand Cru® Surchoix, a Wisconsin treasure inspired by traditional Swiss
gruyère, lives up to its moniker. The only U.S. cheese since 1988 to win the top title at the World Championship Cheese Contest, Grand Cru® Surchoix was crowned the 2016 World Champion cheese! It also won Super Gold at the 2019 World Cheese Awards and, most recently, Best of Class at the 2022 World Championship Cheese Contest. Perhaps it’s to be expected when the perfect storm of tradition, artistry and evolution come together to make a cheese as exceptional and exquisite as this standout.
Behind the Best of the Best
The crescendo in the line of Roth Cheese’s washed-rind, alpine-style cheeses is their Grand Cru® Surchoix. Made with Swiss traditions and the finest Wisconsin milk, the cheese is crafted in copper vats and cellar-aged on spruce boards, both imported from Switzerland. Each wheel is regularly washed with a custom brine and flipped during aging for at least nine months. In each bite, the notes of Wisconsin's unique terroir—the land and the climate—shine. The local landscape is essential to the fresh milk’s flavor, and the best milk is vital to their cheesemaking. It is the very thing that brought the Roth family and their love of cheese to the lush, green fields of Green County.
“To me, Grand Cru® Surchoix is distinctly Wisconsin. It is authentic to Wisconsin because, although it may have Swiss influence and inspiration, we are crafting the cheese in Wisconsin, and that has everything to do with what it turns into on your plate, on your table.”
— Madeline Kuhn | Roth Cheese Research and Development Cheesemaker
A Line of Legacy
The Roth Grand Cru® line—their one-of-a-kind Grand Cru®, the Reserve, and the Surchoix—is crafted with affinage finishes like brining, flipping and turning to express the flavor complexity of the milk, ultimately creating the signature robust flavors of each cheese. Under the watchful eye of cellarmasters, their care and expertise determine how long the wheels age while refining the cheeses to optimal textures and flavors. Depending on the cheese, aging ranges from over four months to at least nine months or more. The result? There is a wonderfully delicious cheese for every palate and occasion.
- Roth Grand Cru® is the flagship and youngest cheese, aged over four months. This full-bodied beauty is nutty with light floral and fruity notes and a mellow finish, perfect for snacking, cooking, and baking.
- Roth Grand Cru® Reserve is carefully selected to age over six months. Beloved for its bold, savory taste and nutty flavor, it’s ideal for everything from melting into sauces to cheese boards for entertaining.
- Roth Grand Cru® Surchoix is aged for at least nine months. This World Champion is only released when the cheese reaches its peak complex caramel, fruit and mushroom flavors.
“Roth Cheese was at the helm of the movement, bringing European traditions into the U.S., spurring what we know today as the modern artisan cheese movement. It really pushed Wisconsin forward as a place known for cheesemaking.”
— Abby Despins | Roth Cheese Director of Communications and Digital Marketing
A Feast Fit for a Champion
Display Grand Cru® Surchoix as the centerpiece of your cheese board. Pair it with onion jam, cured meats, fresh figs, hazelnuts, almonds and olives to amplify its fruity and savory notes. Libations like Riesling, pinot gris, chardonnay, bock beer, porter and stout provide a refreshing exclamation point to this over-the-top tasting experience. Or enhance your favorite dishes by adding it to anything that yearns to go beyond the ordinary— shave it over pasta or salads or employ it to elevate sophisticated, warm appetizers and bread. The flavors are truly magical and indulgent.
Make it: Alpine-Style Croissant Strata
Make it: Artichoke Chicken in Creamy Wine Sauce
