The Poire à la Beaujolaise, or pears in wine, is a traditional dessert in the Beaujolais wine region. It’s a part of Burgundy and Lyon cuisine tradition. Homer, a Greek poet from the eighth century BC, called pears a “gift of the Gods, and we agree! The gift in wine sounds even more appetizing!
We tried it in one of the Lyon restaurants and loved it! It is our favorite fruit dessert recipe for several reasons:
- It is gluten-free
- It’s vegetarian
- It contains wine
- It pairs with wine
- It also pairs with whipped cream, ice cream, or a sponge cake
- And it is sweet!
About the Recipe
The basic recipe for pears in wine is straightforward! Only three ingredients are needed. Yet we added some spices to entertain our taste buds even more.
You don’t have to add spices, but you certainly have to add wine.
The recipe can be prepared and kept in a fridge for a day or two.
Wine for Pears
It is crucial to pick a good bottle of wine! Not just drinkable, but good enough to enjoy it! Any French chef will tell you that. And we obey!
We picked entry-level red from Rhone Valley: Chateau de Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone 2020
The wine behaved as we expected, and the result was expectable.
There are recipes for poached pears in white wine, and we will definitely try them, too. The combination of spices might be corrected and adjusted according to the wine profile.
Pears
Some chefs recommend Barlett pears, and we decided to stick to professional recommendations. Still, you can use other varietals. Pick the best quality fruit. For underripe pears, you might have to adjust the cooking time. You might need 30-35 minutes to make them tender if they are firm. Experiment a little and let us know how did they come out.
Remember that ripe pears might produce a lot of liquid, which means more sauce. Depending on the volume, you might have to reduce the sauce by keeping it up to 30-35 minutes on low heat.
Serving Pears in Wine
Serve pears in wine, warm or cold. As we mentioned above, we like it with vanilla ice cream. Also, it goes well with our yogurt cake, which absorbs lots of sauce.
Wine Pairing
The sweetness and fruitiness of this dish land itself right in the lap of dessert wines like…
On the other hand, made with 100% Syrah, it can pair well with robust and fruity Syrah from Washington, such as Amavi Syrah.
Lastly, sweet sparkling Brachetto and Primitivo from Italy and Zinfandel (Californian Primitivo) might make another great pairing.
Pears in Wine Dessert
Ingredients
- 1 bottle of dry red wine
- 8 medium size Barlett pears, peeled
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 star anise
- 1/3 teaspoon Allspice
- 1 Tbsp raisings
- 1-2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
Instructions
Combine pears, sugar, wine, raisings, and spices in a stainless steel pan, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and boil gently for about 25 minutes.
Remove pears from the liquid.
Reduce the sauce if necessary. Strain the sauce to remove pieces of spices.
Let the sauce cool, and add Grand Marnier.
Serve each pear with some sauce in an individual small deep dish.
Ingredients
- 1 bottle of dry red wine
- 8 medium size Barlett pears, peeled
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 star anise
- 1/3 teaspoon Allspice
- 1 Tbsp raisings
- 1-2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
Instructions
Combine pears, sugar, wine, raisings, and spices in a stainless steel pan, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and boil gently for about 25 minutes.
Remove pears from the liquid.
Reduce the sauce if necessary. Strain the sauce to remove pieces of spices.
Let the sauce cool, and add Grand Marnier.
Serve each pear with some sauce in an individual small deep dish.