Put wine, sugar and rind in a saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, add the pears, then cover the pan and poach the pears gently for about 5 minutes, or until opaque. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.

Discard the lemon rind, reserve a few pear slices for decoration, then puree the cold mixture in a blender or press it through a sieve.

Pour into a freezer container, cover and freeze for several hours until firm.

Remove from the freezer and turn into a large bowl. Break the sorbet up with a fork, then whisk it well until slushy.

Spoon the mixture back into its freezer container, cover and return to the freezer for a further 3-4 hours until firm.

Remove the sorbet from the freezer and allow it to soften at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Then spoon it into individual glasses and serve decorated with pear slices and maraschino cherries.