Pears Baked In Red Wine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Choose a baking dish large enough to hold the pears in one layer. Add wine, sugar, allspice, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean and bay leaf to baking dish. Stir just until sugar is partially dissolved. Cut a thin slice from bottom of pears so that they'll stand upright. Place pears in wine mixture and spoon some wine over them. Place pears in oven and bake until syrup begins to boil and thicken, about 45 to 55 minutes.