Unlike many nationalities, Australians like a cheeky tipple during the week. Well, what if you could legitimise that by watching a show that can also educate your palate? You’ll get that through In Pour Taste: A Comedy Wine Tasting Experience, hosted by comedians Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh.
As discerning booze-hounds would tell you, the wine-tasting show is one of the premium comedy sub-genres. It’s provided some quality offerings over the years, like An Idiot’s Guide to Wine from Merrick Watts from the MICF 2022 vintage.
The well-dressed Cavanagh and Preston don’t quite have Watts-level wine knowledge. So, In Pour Taste, a weekly award winner from Adelaide Fringe 2023, cleverly takes a different path.
The location, near the Queen Victoria Market, is Rewine – a business committed to sourcing quality wines from around Australia whilst seeking to reduce the associated carbon footprint. The tastings included in the ticket price are all ReWine offerings – two whites, a rosé, and two reds.
There’s a smart division of labour here. Cavanagh and Preston provide some tales of pretty loose behaviour in the grip of the grape. (Audience responses showed that a number of tasters could relate.) The pair also gave tips on how to feign wine knowledge in public.
Jordan from ReWine advised on the wine being tasted and grape origins, and landed some zingers on our hosts. The evening is designed to be inclusive, with safeguards against content becoming too much like “wine wankery”.
Those punters who like a wine bar might find that the only sour note of the show is music blaring at various points of the evening. Perhaps this was necessary before popping the cork on the show. After that though, there was enough of a buzz in the room to make such volume unwelcome.
Punters in attendance ranged from the lover of an Aldi $2.99 special to those who’ve spent over $100 on a bottle. The information provided, along with the tasting of wines from less-common varietals or lesser-known regions, means that punters are likely to take away something new from the experience.
The “take away” doesn’t have to just be knowledge either. Ticket holders can avail themselves of a 20% discount on bottles bought after the show, when wood-oven pizzas are also available.
In both wine and comedy, we are often rewarded for having a sense of adventure. If you’ve not sampled this genre or ReWine’s offerings before, In Pour Taste is a good way to top-up your MICF 2023 experience.
In Pour Taste: A Comedy Wine Tasting Experience
ReWine CBD, 460 Queen Street, Melbourne
Performance: Thursday 6 April 2023 – 6.00pm
Season continues to 23 April 2023
Information and Bookings: www.comedyfestival.com.au
Image: Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh (supplied)
Review: Jason Whyte