Instructions: 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.

Zinfandel Peaches: Follow recipe for Zinfandel Pears; substitute 6 peaches for pears. Peel peaches with a sharp knife, or dip in a pan of boiling water for about 1 minute to loosen skin and peel by hand. Halve and remove pit. Place in poaching liquid and cook until tender (15 to 20 minutes).

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