Thursday. Went to Vinexpo at 11.00 and did taste quite a few wines, but by lunchtime the fair was winding down, and sales managers were carting away their wines and posters, leaving some opened bottles on their stands so that passing alcoholics could tank up. By now my mind was more focused on dentistry than wine, as Fabien the chef had made an appointment for me with the popular local dentiste. Readers will be relieved to learn my ailment is not serious, but may not vanish for a day or two yet.

This evening 1500 guests were welcomed to the magnificent moated Chateau d’Issan for the Fête de la Fleur, the high point of the Vinexpo social calendar. Each participating château or négociant purchases a table and then invites guests. Usually they invite their friends or influential people such as their Asian or American importers. Journalists, understandably, are rarely at the top of their list. We have to make pathetic mewing noises until somebody takes pity on us. Not for the first time, Daniel and Florence Cathiard of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte rode to the rescue, sprinkling French and British journalists among members of their family.

The usual Bordeaux grandees were milling about as I arrived. May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, former owner of Pichon-Lalande, was there, and Philippine de Rothschild appeared at my side as I grabbed some jamon serrano from a table. The Roman journalist, Ian d’Agata, greeted me but was wearing an ill-fitting jacket. He explained that he had been to see Gonzague Lurton, owner of Chateau Dufort-Vivens. Because of the warm weather they had removed their jackets and, on leaving, Ian had picked up Gonzague’s in error and was still wearing it. I assume they made a surreptitious swap later in the evening.

There was some speculation about the absence of the newly promoted St Emilion first growths – Pavie-Macquin and Troplong-Mondot – from the dinner on Wednesday. Since their legal status as first growths, after years of stupid wrangling, has been confirmed, it was reasonable to wonder why they were not represented. The promoted châteaux clearly felt snubbed, especially since they had participated at the same event two years ago. This is a knot I cannot yet untangle.

The dinner, in a vast marquee with the glorious chateau as backdrop, was catered by Michel Guérard, who duplicated two of the dishes I had eaten the day before at Bél-Air. I suppose this is down to economies of scale. But the food was delicious and washed down nicely by, among other wines, 1988 Mouton-Rothschild.

The main celebrity on display was the actress Sophie Marceau. I recognised her but for some reason she did not recognise me. After dinner there were fireworks and refreshing flutes of champagne or glasses of Cognac. Guests, including this one, started slipping away at 1 a.m. A day or two later we would be dispersed to the four corners of the earth, singing the praises of Bordeaux: its weather, its wines, its hospitality. Which is exactly what the organisers of Vinexpo intended.

Video: The Fete de la Fleur at Chateau d'Issan

Vinexpo 2009 on decanter.com