Pour the wine, water, vanilla, sugar, cloves, and cinnamon stick into a large pot and stir to dissolve the sugar.
Peel the pears, leaving the stem and core intact.
Gently place the pears into the pot.
Bring the mixture to a light simmer.
Once the wine begins to simmer, cook the pears for 30 minutes, turning the fruit occasionally so they soak up the color evenly.
Remove the pears from the wine when tender but still slightly firm and place them in a bowl.
Turn up the heat on the stove and boil the wine for 10 minutes to reduce the liquid and intensify the flavors.
Remove from heat and pour the syrup through a strainer over the pears.
Allow to cool, cover, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least a few hours.
To serve, place one pear in a bowl for each person.
Spoon some of the syrup over the pears.
These can also be served at room temperature or warm by reheating in the syrup before serving.