Pears in Red Wine with Basil

I discovered this recipe when I was doing the desserts volume of the Time-Life series The Good Cook. Cooking pears in red wine while making lunch for the crew, I licked some reduced red wine syrup off my fingers, which had been handling basil. The combination stunned me. The best pears to use are Boscs or Bartletts, because the Anjou and Comice are too soft to cook. The pears should simmer slowly to pick up as much of the wine flavor as possible, and they are best if poached in advan