Well it's Springtime that brings on the shearin', as the old folk song goes, and it's Springtime that also brings out the free lunch invitations. And the recipients of booze publicists' philanthropic generosity? Drinks columnists like this one dear reader, and other media lounge lizards and freeloaders too numerous to mention.

Just to illustrate that the freelunch circuit involves certain hardships I have decided to share with you a few edited excerpts from my diary. Saturday 23 October. The Great Australian Shiraz Challenge Awards Dinner at Mr and Mrs Pratt's lovely Kew home, Raheen. Black Tie, said the invite, so I dragged out my one and only moth-eaten black suit and bow tie (clip-on) and we hopped into the dusty old Camira. Parking the bomb outside the mansion grounds we were just in time to see chauffeur-driven limos depositing a rather different class of person.

Along with some 250 other guests we were directed by security into the Raheen backyard - not a Weber or Hills Hoist in sight - where we entered a silken draped marquee as big as an aircraft hangar. There we ate - five courses - and drank - bucket loads of exceptional shiraz, including the admirable Challenge Award winning Maglieri Shark Block Shiraz 1997 Monday 26 October. Lunch with Tim and Annie Knappstein at ezard at Adelphi, the food washed down with the Lenswood range of Adelaide Hills wines. I liked the aromatic Sauvignon Blanc 1999, a ripe flavoursome style with hints of tropical, almost pineapple fruit. It went very well with an inspired rice noodle salad comprised of noodles, coriander, chilli candy, peanut brittle and pepper grass in a toasted sesame oil dressing.

Tuesday 27 October. Lunch in Langtons private dining room for the launch of Hahn's 1999 Special Vintage Millennium Ale. This strong ale - eight per cent alcohol - is presented in a 750ml champagne type bottle with a champagne type cork. Lion Nathan chief brewer Bill Taylor told me that the ale is bottled on yeast lees after secondary fermentation. When carefully poured it is a deep red/coffee colour with a nose of toffee, hops and dried fruit. An ale clearly designed for sipping rather than slurping. Limited production means it will probably sell out, even with the solid $13 per bottle price tag.

Tuesday 4pm. Onwards to a "Soiree" at the Grand Ballroom of the Windsor Hotel, in honour of Yves de Bohan, Laurent Perrier Champagne's export manager. Yves was fashionably late, not turning up until well after five, by which time the few punctual guests who hadn't already left were becoming a touch edgy.

When Yves did arrive he wasn't introduced and the general tenor of conversation was "What are we doing here?" What I was doing there was pouring $60 a bottle, 100 per cent pinot noir, Laurent Perrier Rose down my throat. Half a litre or so later I'd warmed to the still unintroduced Yves but I had other promises to keep, so I stocked up on a pocket full of cherry tomato sized cheese souffles and hopped on the bike. Tuesday 6pm. To King and Godfree's old bluestone cellars for a tasting of selected wines featured at Italy's major wine exhibition, Vinitaly '99. I liked in particular a generous and fruit-laden Feudi di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo white from Campania. I stayed for the speeches but left before tasting the regional snacks.

After a long day at the mobile office I cycled home before it got too dark and opened a bottle of Penfolds Bin 389 over dinner - falafel in pita with tsatsiki - wondering whether this was any way to make a (kind of) living. Then I brightened up, after re-reading my invitation to the Moet marquee at the Flemington races on Oaks Day.

© Martin Field