Virginia's Feete family uses ecologically-sound farming practices in raising their dairy herd of Jersey cows: no pesticides or herbicides are used in the fields where the cows are rotationally pastured; the cows are never confined or fed silage, and are given minimal hormones and antibiotics; and the milking season ends when grass growth wanes and the cows wind down their milk production. The quality of the cheese reflects this diligence. Grayson is Meadow Creek Dairy's washed rind offering: the brownish-orange rind of the mildly pungent four-pound square envelopes a supple, semi-soft paste that tastes rich and beefy with sweet, nutty tones.

2008 American Cheese Society Winner: 1st in category.