Woodenhead is inspired by an old nickname bestowed upon winemaker Nikolai Stez. Presumably he earned it—plus, the totem-like wooden masks in the tasting room, and the very wood head of the wine barrels make play of the moniker. But Stez, who worked 17 years for cult Pinot house Williams-Selyem, is not so woodenheaded that he doesn’t listen to the grapes. Some wineries make their Pinot just like their Zinfandel—in more ways than one; while Woodenhead Zinfandels are big, high-alcohol monsters of flavor, their recent Pinots are medium to light-bodied, earthy and sweetly charming. That said, the last time I reviewed Woodenhead Pinot the phrase “A Zin lover’s Pinot” was used. Sure, that, too. Moving on now:
The 2006 Buena Tierra Vineyard, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($55) is a pale, pink-red hue with a brickish horizon, lending it a deceptively tame appearance. Sweet, seductive and bright aromas of strawberry preserves and rhubarb pie mingle with chopped celery and cedar notes. The palate is silky and sweet, with bright strawberry fruit, finishing with a lightly astringent, refreshing smack. I was reminded of this wine during a recent tasting of Bellwether Farms sheep cheeses. The mild flavor of sheep cheese makes even their spicy Pepato a good match for a light, but showy Pinot like this; their soft-ripened cow cheese Crescenza would also make a good pairing.
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Roasted Pear Salad with Radicchio, Aged Balsamic, Bellwether Farms Pepato and a Honey Walnut Dressing 
from Jeff Mall, Chef/Owner Zin Restaurant & Wine Bar, Healdsburg, CA
3 Bosc pears, peeled, cut in half and cored
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. pure olive oil
6 oz. Bellwether Farms Pepato Cheese, cut into 12 wedges
1 Head Radicchio, shredded and washed
Aged Balsamic Vinegar
Honey Walnut Dressing:
1 C. Walnut pieces, toasted lightly
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 C. honey
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. pure olive oil
1 tsp. dijon mustard
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450
- Toss the pear halves in sugar and olive oil and place on baking sheet.
- Bake 25 minutes, or until pears are golden brown. Set aside until ready to make salad.
- Combine walnuts, honey and marjoram with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Whisk together red wine vinegar with dijon and 3 Tbsp. olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
- Assemble salad: Toss radicchio with the red wine vinaigrette and divide among 6 plates. Slice warm pears and fan out over radicchio. Place two slice of Pepato on each plate. Spoon honey walnut dressing over pears and cheese. Drizzle each plate with aged balsamic vinegar.
Serves 6 as a first course