At the 37th edition of the World Cheese Awards, held in Bern from 13 to 15 November, Italy ranked as the third most-awarded nation—after Spain (600) and Switzerland (597)—with 376 total recognitions, including 12 Super Gold, awarded to products ranging from iconic PDOs to limited-batch artisan creations. The Italian Super Gold winners include Burrata (Masseria Posticchia Sabelli), Cremoso di Fosse Brandinelli, several aged Parmigiano Reggiano selections, Pecorino Ficorum, Sakura (Latteria Moro), and Testun “Cit” al Barolo DOCG. The broader medal count includes 61 Gold, 126 Silver, and 177 Bronze, confirming the depth of Italy’s dairy sector across mountain cheeses, experimental affinage, and traditional specialties.
WORLD CHEESE AWARDS’ MARKET IMPACT
Organized by the UK-based Guild of Fine Food—representing over 12,000 professionals worldwide—the WCA serves as a significant commercial lever. A medal often influences buyer selections and boosts brand reputation in export markets, where awards are considered a proxy for “high reliability and quality”.
The 2026 edition will take place in Córdoba, Spain.
ITALIAN CHEESE COMPANIES SHINE
Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
The Parmigiano Reggiano National Team claimed a total of 103 medals: 3 Super Golds, 27 Golds, 34 Silvers, and 40 Bronzes. The award-winning dairies hail from the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, and Mantua. Parmigiano Reggiano PDO once again confirms its status as the world’s most decorated cheese. Italy secured 11 Super Golds overall (out of 107 awarded), three of which—an all-time record for a single Italian cheese in this competition—were won by the Parmigiano Reggiano team.
The top-scoring entries were:
- Caseificio 4 Madonne dell’Emilia, dairy no. 1240 (Modena), with a Parmigiano Reggiano matured over 40 months;
- Latteria Sociale San Bartolomeo (Reggio Emilia) with a 30–39-month cheese;
- Latteria Sociale San Girolamo (Guastalla, Reggio Emilia) with a 24–29-month cheese wheel.
With these latest accolades, the Parmigiano Reggiano National Team reaches 937 awards from 2001 to today, while the Italian National Cheese Team, in just six years, breaks into triple digits with 106.
Arrigoni Battista (Lombardy)
The historic Bergamo dairy earned 7 new medals:
- Silver: Taleggio PDO, Gorgonzola PDO Dolce, BerghemBlu
- Bronze: Rossini, Quartirolo Lombardo PDO, Gorgonzola DOP Piccante, Capriccio
This brings the company’s lifetime total to 131 awards.
Asiago PDO Consortium
Asiago PDO delivered an outstanding performance with 7 medals, including three Gold for Asiago PDO Stravecchio. Four bronzes went to Asiago Fresco and Asiago Mezzano varieties from Latteria Sociale di Castelnovo, Caseificio Pennar, and Caseificio Sociale Casona. “These results confirm the ability of our producers to express excellence recognized globally,” said President Fiorenzo Rigoni.
La Casearia Carpenedo (Veneto)
The Venetian affineur secured 5 medals out of 8 entries:
- Silver: Blustar, Perlagrigia, Briscola
- Bronze: Hyrkus, Blu’61
The company celebrated the achievement as confirmation of its “daily commitment to creating cheeses of excellence”.
Il Fiorino (Tuscany)
Il Fiorino’s Riserva del Fondatore captured a prestigious Super Gold, reaffirming its reputation as “the most awarded pecorino in the world”. The dairy earned nine medals overall, including an additional silver and eight bronzes across its Cacio di Giove, Cacio di Venere, Cacio di Afrodite, Cacio di Caterina, Grotta dei Fiorini, Dolce Fiorino di Maremma, and the limited-edition pecorino Noi.
The Italian dairy group collected 12 medals:
- Silver (7): Mozzarella di Latte di Bufala, Burrata al Tartufo, Formaggio Misto Classico Podda, Pecorino Toscano PDO Pinzani, Pecorino Romano PDO, and two Parmigiano Reggiano PDO selections (24–29 months and 30–39 months)
- Bronze(5): Stracciatella, Pecorino Contradaiolo Pinzani, Formaggio di Capra “Il Saggio”, Formaggio di Capra “Testadura”, Formaggio Quattrocento
Granarolo emphasized the awards’ strategic value, citing strong demand in France, the UK, the Baltics, Poland, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, the U.S., and Japan.
Latterie Vicentine (Veneto)
The cooperative won Gold for its Brenta Oro, a semi-cooked cheese aged in a unique 500 square metres natural cave in Schio (Vicenza), originally an air-raid shelter from WWII. “I’m proud and moved by this achievement,” said President Alessandro Mocellin, praising the cooperative’s farmers and cheesemakers.