Pour red wine, granulated sugar, a strip of orange peel and a cinnamon stick in a deep sauce pan. Bring to a gentle simmer on medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.
Peel the pears, keeping the stem intact, right before adding them to the wine in order to prevent them from discoloring. Place the pears lying down in the wine mixture.
Cook, partially covered, for 30-35 minutes until the pears are fork tender. Turn the pears over every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooking and coloring.
When the pears are tender, carefully transfer them to a plate. Continue simmering the poaching liquid on medium high heat until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes.
To serve place a pear either whole or cut in half with the core removed on a serving plate. I use a spoon to scoop out the core. Serve with poaching liquid drizzled over the pears along with a dollop of sweetened whipped ricotta, mascarpone cream or whipped cream, if desired.