Sam Rollins of Portland, Oregon, placed second at the Mondial du Fromage earlier this month, just four points behind the victor, Vincent Philippe of France’s Maison Bordier. Rollins’s finish was by far the best showing for an American to date in this international cheesemonger competition. One of two Americans representing the U.S. (American Nick Bayne competed for the UK and finished third), Rollins spent months beefing up his cheese knowledge and designing his platters for the grueling day-long contest. Via email, he told me how he prepared for the event and shared the highs and the lows (there weren’t many) of his Mondial experience.

“I felt we were winners before the contest even finished,” said Adam Moskowitz, founder of CMI Masters, a domestic competition that determines the U.S. team for the Mondial (officially, the Concours Mondial du Meilleur Fromager). “Now we have two years to fine-tune our practices and pursue the top of the podium.”

In his day job, Rollins is general manager for Cow Bell Fine Cheese, an importer and retailer in Portland. Below are his responses to my questions, edited for length.

What was your prep like?

After Courtney (Johnson) and I took first and second place respectively at CMI Masters, Adam brought us together to plan our preparations. He did weekly Zoom calls with us and each week invited someone who might have insight into the competition. We were able to talk with previous winners and with other American cheesemongers who have gone to Mondial. So we had a good idea of what the judges would expect.

I spent most of the summer reading and trying to absorb as much info as I could on PDO cheeses, animal breeds and cheese science. My coworkers put together blind tastings of PDO cheeses for me to identify.

In August I spent hours building components for the cheese-platter phase of the competition, a large, themed display that showcases cutting, handling and presentation; doing flashcards; and recipe-testing for a challenge involving Camembert and Tête de Moine. I did a Normandy-themed millefeuille with whipped Camembert, cider-poached apples, pastry and a tarragon-Calvados crème anglaise. For Tête de Moine, I did a little bite made up of cheese, foie gras, mango jam and coffee powder.

At the end of August, Courtney arranged a trial run for us in Seattle, with the timing, space and equipment restrictions we would have on the Big Day. That was super helpful, both to work out some kinks and some jitters.

What was your best event?

Hard to say as the judges don’t share the scores for individual events. I felt fairly sure of myself in the multiple-choice test and blind tasting. I think my cheese platter came together pretty well, but I did run out of time, so I didn’t pull it together as comprehensively as I’d hoped. I chose to make my display mostly by hand and from secondhand elements, and while it definitely looked less polished than others, I think it came together well. The theme the judges chose was “Cheese in the Stars,” so I started with an astrology/tarot card concept. I was hoping to express the craft, tradition and mystical wondrousness of cheesemaking.

What was your least best event, in your own estimation?

I fully expected the five-minute oral presentation of a cheese of my choice (Carles Roquefort) to be an embarrassment. I can talk all day about cheese when I’m behind the counter, but I have little experience with memorizing and performing a presentation in front of an audience. I was far from a shining star, but I did manage to make it through without unraveling, so I took that as a win.

Pecorino deconstructed: Rollins’s cheese sculpture

The final challenge of the day was a to make a cheese sculpture—to carve an assigned cheese into something beautiful but still edible. I really struggled with that. It was hot and my cheese was sweaty, slippery, dense and difficult to cut. I quickly broke my cheese wire and spent the rest of my time sawing and slicing with a succession of knives. While a charitable person might say I did end up creating a sculpture, it was neither beautiful nor particularly edible.

Any surprises—things that didn’t play out as you expected?

The best surprise was just how supportive all the other competitors were. Some people had given me the impression that the mood was tense and competitive, but that was not my experience. Getting to learn from mongers from nine other countries was one of the things I most looked forward to and that seemed to be a shared sentiment. Everyone’s openness and willingness to talk shop, to lend a hand and share advice was truly heartwarming. There was a strong sense of shared purpose and collegiality. We were all there for the cheese.

What were the highlights for you?

I found the whole experience to be affirmative, from the people I met, to the studying I put in, to the amazing European cheeses I had the chance to try. Hopefully it will help me do my job better: to get people excited to eat good cheese and to advocate for small-scale, conscientious, tradition-informed cheesemaking.

Why do you think the French guy came out on top? What was his “special sauce"?

Vincent is very, very good at what he does. While there wasn’t much chance to watch the other mongers during the competition, I was impressed by everything I did see him put together. His drive and skill were apparent, and I took a lot of mental notes while watching him cut and present cheese.

Best cheese tasted on the trip?

Raw farmstead Saint-Nectaire.

Any desire to compete again?

Currently, not at all! I’m looking forward to spending some time with my fiancée and friends, cooking and reading. But ask me in two years and maybe I’ll feel differently.