KEY POINTS:
A goat-farming couple who turned their hobby into a full-time occupation have scooped New Zealand's top cheesemaker's award.
Jan and John Walter's Old Gold was named the Saint Clair Champion of Champions cheese at the Cuisine NZ Champion of Cheese awards, despite the couple having a herd of only 20.
The couple have been farming goats on their 3ha block at Albany for the last 24 years after giving up teaching. They got into cheesemaking between eight and nine years ago after people who bought their goats' milk told them to try their hand at it.
Their organically-farmed goats produce on a good day about 80 litres of milk which is pasteurised and made into cheese.
The cheese is kept in a ripening cellar for over a year before it is ready.
"It was a trial and error thing but we knew the basic recipe was milk and rennet so we played around with that until we got it right," said Mrs Walter.
"People liked it and we just kept making more and more," she said.
Since then the couple have had a golden run, winning the Best New Cheese prize in 2000 and 25 gold medals, 16 silver medals, six bronze medals and eight category trophies at various Champions of Cheese awards.
Master judge John Greeley said the Walters' win was a real achievement for such a small operation.
"With goats' milk you have to make the cheese exactly right or it won't sustain its complex flavours and it will take on defects - they did this remarkably well," said Mr Greeley.
Mrs Walter said the cheese, which sells for about $50 a kilogram to Auckland restaurants, local buyers and cheese mongers in Canterbury, had a salty rich taste which left an almost almond or caramel-like aftertaste.
"It goes really well with a sharp fruit jelly like quince jelly or crab apple jelly and I would say if you wanted a wine choice to go with it you would want one that's quite aromatic."
The Walters make nine varieties of cheese and will keep their operation low-key despite their success.
"We put in a lot of hard work for a small result but we're passionate about getting the perfect cheese and I think we got pretty close," said Mrs Walter.
Winners at the Cuisine Champions of Cheese Awards 2007
Saint Clair Champion of Champions
Old Gold - Crescent Dairy Goats
New World Champion Fresh Unripened Cheese
Tararua Lite Creme Fraiche - Goodman Fielder
Hyatt Regency Auckland Champion Feta Cheese
Hohepa Feta - Hohepa Farms
Innovative Packaging Champion Soft White Rind Cheese
Bouton d'or Mini Brie - Puhoi Valley Cheese
Champion Goat Cheese
Aroha Pepperazzi - Aroha Organic Goat Cheese
Champion Sheep Cheese
Whitestone Island Stream - Whitestone Cheese
Ecolab Champion Washed Rind Cheese
Neudorf Richmond Red - Neudorf Dairy
Hally Labels Champion Cheddar Cheese
Fonterra Waitoa Cheddar
Foodtown Champion European Style Cheese
Ferndale Raclette - Fonterra Brands NZ
Arnott's Cheeseboard Champion Dutch Style Cheese
Edam - Karikaas Cheese
Champion New Cheese
Aroha Pepperazzi - Aroha Organic Goats Cheese
Fonterra Champion Original NZ Cheese
Old Gold - Crescent Dairy Goats
Champion Flavoured Cheese
Zefatit with Dill and Garlic - Canaan Cheeses
Hally Labels Champion Blue Cheese
Galaxy Creamy Blue - Fonterra Brand NZ
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Champion Export Cheese
Fonterra Hautapu Cheddar
New World Champion Favourite Cheese
Waimata Camembert - Waimata Cheese Company
Curious Design Champion Cheese Packaging
Whitestone Marinated Feta
Taylor's Port Champion Cheeseboard
The Gondola's Pinnacle Restaurant
Curds & Whey Champion Hobbyist Cheese
Nelke Nero
Katherine Mowbray Champion Hobbyist Cheesemaker
Paula Lovett
Hospitality Magazine Champion Cheesemaker
Dave Newton, cheesemaker at Fonterra Eltham
