Pear and Red Wine Sorbet
Make this spicy sorbet with our Chautauqua Rouge
4 medium to large pears of any type, peeled, cored and quartered
1 ½ cups red medium-bodied wine, such as Johnson Estate’s Chautauqua Rouge
1 ½ cups water
½ cup sugar or honey
1 2-3 inch cinnamon stick
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Variations: Add two cloves and/or orange peel 1” x 3”
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Simmer pears, wine, sugar, water, cinnamon, and vanilla (and cloves and orange if using) in a saucepan
until the pears are tender; approximately 5-10 minutes, depending on their ripeness. Pears will be soft
and somewhat translucent. Add the pepper. Remove the pears and spices from the pan. Discard the
spices. Return the poaching liquid to the heat and reduce the mixture until it is a thin syrup. Cool
slightly.
Pureé the pears with an immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth. Slowly add the poaching
liquid and the lemon juice; blend well. Pour into a metal pan and freeze until firm or use an ice cream
maker to freeze the sorbet.
To prepare the sorbet for serving, remove the pan from the freezer to thaw slightly. Break it into pieces
and process in a food processor until relatively smooth. Spoon into sorbet dishes and serve immediately.