New Holland, PA (April 9, 2018) – Esquirrou, a hard sheep’s milk cheese made at MauleonFromagerie by Michel Touyarou and imported by Savencia Cheese USA, has been named the2018 World Champion Cheese during the World Championship Cheese Contest, held inMadison, WI.

This is the first time a French cheese has won the contest and the first timeSavencia Cheese USA has participated in the championship.

The cheese, pronounced ehs-keer-oo, bested a record-breaking 3,402 entries, in 121 categories from26 countries. It earned a final score of 98.376 out of 100 in the final judging round. Esquirrou is craftedin the Pyrénées region of France. It is a hard cheese made using the milk of Manech ewes that graze inthis beautiful region.

Esquirrou ages for six months and underneath its amber rind lies a rich ivory past with nutty notes anda toasted wheat aroma. It is a PDO Cheese, Protected Denomination of Origin, made traditionally andfollowing strict process. Cheese connoisseurs traditionally pair it with cherry preserves.“This is an exciting moment for the cheese world and we are thrilled that Esquirrou is the first Frenchcheese recognized for its exquisite texture, taste and flavor and are eager to have everyone experienceour best in class cheese,” states Dominique Huth, CEO Savencia Cheese USA.

Esquirrou is available at Wegmans and fine stores nationwide with a suggested retail value of $25/lb.Savencia Cheese USA is proud to craft the best domestic cheese such as Dorothy, and Frenchcheeses such as Esquirrou, Etorki, St Andre, St Agur and many others.