Across the entire planet, there are only a small number of certified Master Cheesemakers. On October 1st, a handful of them gathered together in the same place, at the same time, for the same reason: SAVEUR’s Fall/Winter 2024 launch party in Madison, Wisconsin.
For many of them, it was home. Wisconsin is the only U.S. state where cheesemakers can become Masters of their craft; the only other comparable certification program is in Switzerland. With or without official mastery, though, the state of Wisconsin produces more than 600 distinct flavors, styles, and varieties of cheese. And no one—no state, no nation—has won more awards than Wisconsin cheesemakers. As self-identified cheese obsessives, there could be no better place for the SAVEUR crew to ring in their new issue.
Stuffed between the colorful bookcases of Leopold’s and the cozy booths of Fabiola’s Spaghetti House, editor-in-chief Kat Craddock and the rest of the SAVEUR crew mingled with cheesemakers, cheesemongers, media, and more. “This whole part of Madison is a historic Italian district, the Greenbush Italian district,” says Destination Madison’s Rob Gard. “With Fabiola’s, it’s come full circle.”
Italian notes did pepper the night—buffet tables were piled high with antipasto, sausage and peppers, and Fabiola’s gooey arancini stuffed with pork and veal ragù—but the true VIP was, as always, Wisconsin Cheese. In pride of place at the center of the table were three absolute icons: Roelli Red Rock,
