Capriole O’Banon Experiences Stardom: 1st Place Award and Movie “Role” in Julie and Julia

Congratulations Capriole O'Banon! On August 7, this cheese received a first place honor in the marinated goat's milk cheese category at the 2009 American Cheese Society (ACS) awards in Austin, Texas. The honor came just weeks before the opening of the hit movie Julie and Julia, in which the Julie character purchases this cheese at a New York City Dean and Deluca store after being inspired by her idol Julia Child who loved great cheeses. The American Cheese Society sought to recognize cheeses of the highest quality, aesthetically and technically, so the award is quite an honor for Capriole. The competition included 197 producers from 32 states, Canada and Mexico, which totaled a record-breaking 1,327 cheeses and cultured dairy products entered. Capriole owner Judy Schad is excited by the notoriety earned by the cheese after the award and the Hollywood "cameo."

"Perhaps good things do come with time," said Capriole owner/cheesemaker Judy Schad. "Over the last 10 years, Capriole has entered the O'Banon six times in the ACS competition and won an award each time, in addition to this year. And to see O'Banon on the movie screen was such a thrill!"

According to Schad, the O'Banon, first made in 1989, is one of her most labor-intensive cheeses. Named after both a French "cousin" from Haute Provence, and an Indiana governor, the O'Banon has been called "an American treasure" by some cheese enthusiasts. Wrapped in chestnut leaves and marinated in Woodford Reserve, O'Banon is arresting for both the eyes and the palate. Like all of Schad's cheeses, O'Banon is a charming blend of European traditions and American ingredients. A fact, which it seems, was not lost on the judges of this year's American Cheese Society Awards.

Capriole, Inc. is a producer of artisan goat cheeses located in Greenville, Indiana. Capriole offers a line of fresh, ripened and aged cheeses made the farmstead way-by hand using only the milk from the farm's own herd. Coveted favorites among regional farmers' markets and gourmet retail stores, Capriole cheeses have been recognized with several national awards from the American Cheese Society and have been featured in such national publications as Saveur, People Magazine and Fine Cooking. For more information, visit www.capriolegoatcheese.com.