Chocolate covered strawberries with vanilla bean-infused red wine syrup

I was here (for 7 hours!) waiting for the guys from the cable company to come and change my phone service and internet.  So frustrating!.... and I couldn't leave to go to the grocery store.  I ended up eating leftovers but still craved the act of "creating" something.  This is where that endeavor led me...

Ingredients:

1/2 cup      red wine

1/4 cup      granulated sugar

1 large       vanilla bean

                 fresh strawberries, whole

2 blocks     chocolate candy coating

1 block      "white" chocolate candy coating

Notes

• I used the madagascar vanilla beans, which are reportedly the sweetest and most pungent.
• The wine I used was a Napa Valley Claret, but any light to medium body wine would be fine.  By the time the syrup has reduced, the alcohol is gone.
• This probably only makes enough syrup for two people.. but then again, it looks like something that you might serve for an intimate dinner for two!

Method:

• Red wine and sugar to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat; stirring until sugar is melted.
• Split a vanilla bean lengthwise with a sharp knife and scrape out the vanilla specks.  Add the vanilla specks and the whole pod into the wine.
• Let the wine simmer or at most a light rolling boil for several minutes until the syrup reduces.  It should get to the point where it will coat a spoon.... and will taste yummy!
• While syrup is cooking, melt the chocolate coating in a microwave safe bowl for 35 seconds at a time, stirring after each time.  After it melts, dip the strawberries and let them dry on wax paper.
• Make the "white" chocolate curls by using a vegetable peeler along the edge of the candy block.  Use the tines of a fork or a toothpick to lift curls, as they are very fragile.
• Spoon some of the wine syrup on a plate and top with strawberries.  Garnish with an additional drizzle of syrup and white chocolate curls.
• Serve immediately as syrup will really get thick pretty quickly.