Bring the cherries, red wine, port and all other ingredients except the sour cream up to the boil, allowing the cherries to simmer for 5-6 minutes before removing the pan from the heat and leaving the cherries to infuse and cool until just warm.
Liquidize the cherries well until smooth and pass through a fine sieve.
Finish with salt and pepper and a little squeeze of lemon juice. The soup is now ready to serve, finished with a dollop of sour cream, offering the toasted walnut bread apart.