The Comté Cheese Association is delighted to announce that Zach Berg has won the ninth
annual Comté Scholarship for American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professionals™ (ACS
CCPs™)! Berg won an all-expenses-paid trip to the Comté region to explore the cheese and its
culture first-hand, and a $750 cash stipend.

Zach Berg, co-owner/cheesemonger at Monger’s Provisions in Detroit, MI, upon learning the
news replied, “Oh my God, what wonderful news! The opportunity to visit the Jura and see how
Comté cheese is made, has been on my cheese bucket list! I am jumping up and down, this is
incredible.”

Evan Talen from Aperitivo in Grand Rapids, MI, was named runner-up. He along with the next
top four entries will receive a special gift for their efforts.

The essays were judged on the basis of knowledge and creativity by a panel of three renowned
cheese experts: Cathy Strange, Vice President, Specialty and Product Innovation and
Development, Whole Foods Market, Inc.; Laura Werlin, Author and Cheese Educator; and
Nora Weiser, Principal of non-profit consulting firm 12 Flavor and Director Emeritus of the
American Cheese Society.

This year two essay questions were asked. There were: “How did the pandemic affect your sale
and your customers, positively and/or negatively? ” and “What is your perception of the market
for artisanal / craft cheeses (>$15/lbs.)?” For their reply to each question, participants were
requested to use Comté as an example.” Berg’s winning essay may be read here:
http://www.comte-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Zach-Berg-Winning-Essay.pdf

The Certified Cheese Professional™ (CCP) Exam was established by the American Cheese
Society in 2012 to encourage high standards of comprehensive cheese knowledge and service for
professionals in all areas of the cheese world. The exam is based on the knowledge and skills
required to successfully perform cheese-related tasks in jobs across the board. 

Made exclusively in the Jura Mountain region of France, Comté is an artisanal cheese with AOC
(Controlled Appellation of Origin) and PDO (European Protected Denomination of Origin)
designations. Each wheel of Comté reflects a unique terroir, a season of production, and
centuries of cheesemaking and affinage traditions.

For further information, please contact:
Comté Cheese Association c/o Carbonnier Communications
Email : trade@comte-usa.com
Follow Comté USA on Twitter: @Comte_USA
Become a fan on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ComteUSA

The Comté Cheese Association – Comité Interprofessionnel du Comté – was set up by decree on
11th June 1963. It represents all those who are involved in the production of Comté—dairy
farmers, cheese-makers, affineurs—and carries out activities in all fields of interest to the trade,
including research and technical issues, economics, information and communications,
marketing, law and promotion of the Comté appellation, defense of local traditions and
protection of the environment.