Poached Pears in Red Wine Sauce

Cherry blossom, Rotorua, N.Z.

This Poached Pears in Red Wine recipe is simple but sophisticated and because it is based on fruit and red wine, must be healthier as a dessert.
Serves 4. Prep and cook time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup (220g) sugar
1 cup (250ml) red wine
1 cup (250ml) water
1 cinnamon stick
1 strip lemon rind
4 just ripe pears, with stems attached

Let's cook:

1. Place sugar, wine, water, cinnamon and lemon rind into a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly reduced.
2. Meanwhile, peel pears and, using a small sharp knife, remove cores from underside of pears.
3. Lower pears into poaching liquid and simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes or until tender, turning pears occasionally during cooking so they colour evenly.
4. Transfer pears to a heated plate and cover to keep warm. Boil the remaining liquid for about 10 minutes or until it becomes syrupy. Serve pears with syrupy red wine sauce and ice-cream or double cream, if desired.

Do you prefer your pears peeled or unpeeled for this recipe? I don't mind them unpeeled either but perhaps the wine doesn't soak into the fruit as well.