Ups, downs and wonderful wines for wedding planners

Wedding bells are ringing and frenetic activity is afoot in the various Gleug households dotted around the north coast.

You see, Lucy, my terribly gifted niece, is to tie the knot with her beloved Warren later this month. Meanwhile, she has the rest of us all driven doolally with her incessant and specific demands as we move closer to the big day. Luckily, she's worth it. Better still, as the one who has been designated the task of delivering the father of the bride speech, I have managed to unearth some impressively embarrassing material with which I can exact some revenge on behalf of the wider clan.

Surprisingly, Lucy hasn't asked me to source her wine for the big day. I would have been happy to help but she tells me she's managed to strike a good deal for a bulk order with a local wholesaler. We'll see.

In the meantime, the rest of us have been enjoying the excitement and buzz but also suffering occasionally from the flip side of that particular coin - exhaustion and stress.

And the great thing about the auld vino is that it can be both an upper and a downer - "Huzzah!" for the many moments of delight and "dear God, someone pour me a large red, please" for the even more frequent feelings of tiredness and frustration. Still, it'll all work out in the end, won't it?

"Oui, bien sur, mon cher Raymond" answers my darling wife, the redoubtable Madame G., "now please pour me a large glass of today's Wine of the Week, the complex, intriguing and mineral-rich 2020 M&S Classics Gavi (£8) and we'll raise a toast to lovely little Lucy and Big Warren". This is a versatile, food-friendly wine, ideal for seafood or salads. Made from Cortese, perhaps Piemonte's finest white grape, this smooth, citrussy and impressively tart drop is just one of an impressive range of popular wines at affordable prices- M&S Classics- well worth checking out.

Lovers of red, I have not forgotten you for I am you - today's second recommendation is the light-bodied, youthful and exuberantly juicy 2021 Kimbao Pinot Noir (Naked Wines, www.nakedwines.com, £12.99 or £9.99 to members aka Angels). A lively, tangy palate is dominated by ripe, fleshy cherry and summer berry flavours which are nicely countered by gentle tannins and backnotes of cinnamon and clove. This elegant, crisp and complex red is one to enjoy with lean meat or poultry.

Of course, despite the occasional moan and groan about Bridezilla's preparations, we're actually all mostly feeling exceptionally excited and delighted and we seem to be drinking lots of Prosecco. Today's final selection is the lipsmackingly crisp, satisfyingly savoury and delightfully dry La Dolce Colline Prosecco Spumante (generally £10-£11). Fresh, fragrant, fabulously fruity and impressively bubbly, this golden yellow Italian sparkler is packed with intoxicating citrus and stone fruit flavours which are expertly complemented by beguiling backnotes suggestive of eucalyptus. Enjoy this fizz with a prawn or crab salad, outside in the sun if it shines.

And round here we're all praying that the sun is shining on April 30. Perhaps Lucy's wholesaler will have upgraded our prosecco to champagne. And who knows, she might even forgive her favourite uncle when he divulges that embarrassing story to the assembled crowd? Till next week, tipplers, sante!