The Worcester and Tabasco sauces (the spices in a traditional Bloody Mary) add a complexity calling for something more than a white, but not quite a red: I suggest a full bodied Rosé. Trouble is, most supermarket rosé’s either too sweet or too insipid to deal with this lovely Isle of Wight dish. But we do have a rosé that fits the bill, soft enough to allow the flavours of the crab and celeriac to come through, but strong enough to stand up the tanginess of the Bloody Mary overtones. We are recommending the 2008 Belles Courbes St. Chinian (Languedoc) available exclusively at Chale Green Stores for £10.50.

St. Chinian (Languedoc) is one for the southernmost (read hottest) wine growing areas of France, producing fully ripened wines that if made in the red style are full bodied and robust. But if taken off the skin early before fermentation, yet given all the “red” treatment such as oak aging, what results is a wonderfully complex, yet rounded rosé. Voila, the perfect companion to this month’s feature recipe. If you want to try it out we will be serving this combination in our Café throughout the month of May, as part of our French Wine and Food Festival. Or come to the Wine and Food Pairing on May 22, where we will have this on the tasting sheet.

Chale Green Stores, 01983-551201 PO38 2JN  www.chalegreenstores.co.uk