In a medium saucepan, combine spice, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla essence, and wine. Bring to a simmer, add the pear segments and poach in the liquid for 15-20 minutes.
Once the pears are cooked, carefully remove them from the liquid and set aside. The best way to check if the pears are ready is to insert a knife or a skewer into the thickest part of a pear.
Continue simmering the wine mixture until it has reduced down to 250ml, If you have not used an infuser bag, you may want to strain the syrup.
Preheat your oven to 200°C.
Pour approximately 100ml of syrup on the base of an 18-20cm round pie dish. Place the pears in a circular arrangement cut side up and close together.
Cut a circle of puff pastry approximately 1-2cm larger than your pie dish. Fit the pastry around the pears, using a small spatula to tuck the edges down the sides of the dish. This will help to encase the pears snuggly. Brush with egg wash if desired.
Bake for 25- 35 minutes until the pastry is golden. Once cooked, remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
To invert the tart, use a tray or plate bigger than your baking dish to cover the opening, then, holding it away from yourself, quickly flip the tarte over so it will invert onto the flat surface. We recommend using oven mitts at this stage.
Once inverted, transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with the remaining syrup. Serve with vanilla ice-cream.
