Zinfandel Pears

Ingredients:

6 pears
1 small bunch fresh basil -- plus leaves
2 cups zinfandel wine
1/2 cup sugar

Directions: 

1. Peel pears. Core pears by cutting a cone shaped wedge from the bottom of each. Leave stems intact. Discard seeds and cores. Wash and julienne a bunch of basil.
2. Place wine and sugar in a medium non aluminum saucepan. Add julienned basil and bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Place pears upright in poaching liquid, reduce heat, and simmer until pears are tender  and do not offer resistance when pierced with a sharp knife (about 20 minutes).
3. Remove fruit with a slotted spoon to a serving dish. Return syrup to a boil and reduce by half to about 1 cup (about 10 minutes). Pour syrup over pears and cool for 3 hours in refrigerator.
4. To serve, place pears in stemmed glasses, spooning some of the cooking juices over each fruit. Garnish with basil leaves.

NOTES : Pears, peaches, apples, and quince are among the many fruits that taste sensational when poached in red wine. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over the fruit, chilled in a wineglass, as the filling of a fruit tart or warm with chocolate fudge Sauce. Mint is in the same herb family as basil and may be substituted for the basil in the recipe.