Sauternes is a French dessert wine with natural notes of honey, apricot and stone fruit, which make it an exceptional poaching medium for pears. The wine's complexity infuses into the fruit as it cooks, delivering layers of flavour that a plain sugar syrup cannot replicate. Classic aromatics - cinnamon, star anise, vanilla - complement the wine without competing with it. Even though Sauternes is already sweet, adding a small amount of caster sugar ensures the pears absorb enough sweetness during their short cooking time. Poach over a gentle heat: a rolling boil toughens the fruit and drives off the wine's delicate fragrance.