To make poached cherries, combine the sugar and wine in a medium saucepan. Stir over heat, without boiling, until the sugar dissolves. Add cherries; bring to the boil. Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until the cherries are tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cherries from liquid to a medium heatproof bowl. Boil the cherry liquid, uncovered, for about 2 minutes or until thickened slightly. Pour the liquid over the cherries in the bowl; cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to moderately slow (160°C/140°C fan-forced). Mark a 22cm circle on 3 sheets of baking paper. Place the paper, upside down, on lightly greased oven trays.

Combine almond meal, 1/4 cup of the caster sugar and cornflour in a small bowl.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar; beat until dissolved between additions. Gently fold in almond meal mixture in two batches.

Spoon meringue mixture into a piping bag fitted wihte a plain 1.5 cm tube. Pipe mixture evenly in a spiral inside the circles on each prepared tray. Bake in a moderately slow oven for about 30 minutes or until meringue is dry to touch. Turn off oven; cool meringues in oven with door ajar.

To make chocolate cream, place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat; cool chocolate to room temperature. Whip 1 1/4 cups (300ml) of the cream until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into cooled chocolate in three batches. Gently fold in remaining unwhipped cream - this will keep the chocolate cream soft.

Place one meringue disc on a serving plate; spread with half the chocolate cream, then top with half the well-drained poached cherries. Repeat layers, ending with a meringue disc. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

To serve, dust with sifted cocoa or icing sugar; top with extra cherries, if desired.