Poires Au Vin Rouge (Pears in Red Wine)

Peel pears and remove the cores from the bottom, leaving the stems intact; set aside.

Combine red wine, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, fennel seed, peppercorns, and bay leaves in a large saucepan and bring to a boil; stir until sugar is dissolved. Add pears, return to a simmer, and reduce heat to medium-low; continue simmering until tender, about 25 minutes.

Remove pears from wine syrup to a rimmed dish; cover the dish and refrigerate until pears are cold. Strain syrup through a mesh sieve into a medium pot and discard spices. Simmer syrup over medium heat until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Refrigerate syrup until cold.