Wine-tasting shows aren’t so common, but they are often a satisfying combination of info and laughs. A top exponent of the format is Merrick Watts, who has much experience in touring his shows. MICF audiences have a fleeting chance to see his latest offering – An Idiot’s Guide to Wine: Volume 3.
The show’s format follows that of previous volumes: our host (a qualified wine judge) guides us through a tasting of six Australian wines. These pours feature some pretty obscure choices of grapes or regions, which guarantees interest for those with experience some way beyond that of basic quaffers. The accompanying segments layered information with stories from Watts’ life (that’s where the “idiot” sometimes showed up).
On offer were three whites and three reds, all presented as “gold standard” wines (a QR code will provide more detail), and the varietals here differed from those of the show’s past editions. Watts guided us through key features of the grapes and their history, and included useful (often unexpected) tips on food pairings. Much of the comedy is drawn from Watts’ personal reflections on drinking, including some put-downs of certain wines.
Humour arose from admissions of drunken exploits. A tale on some late-night mischief on social media earned especially loud laughter. There was also some ribbing of the generations represented in the audience (with a nice jab at how consumption relates to hard work).
Laughs were also wrung from recollections on sharing a house with both a daughter going through puberty and a sommelier wife navigating menopause. That Watts (a self-confessed human labrador) managed the taunts without putting the audience offside shows the deft balance achieved here.
Whilst it was an enjoyable show, some palates could detect the odd minor fault. Given a segment on the importance of wine-serving temperatures, it was unfortunate that the whites were notably too warm. Also, a story about a Roman dictator – completely unrelated to the grape under consideration – didn’t fit as well as others in the monologue. Despite this, the sheer oddity of the tale scored a good amount of laughter.
Those keen on expanding their wine knowledge in a pretension-free environment will find this “flight” worthy of consideration. You’ll get what it says on the MICF tasting notes, and it’s another quality vintage of an already-proven blend.
Merrick Watts – An Idiot’s Guide to Wine: Volume 3
Empire Tent – Spiegel Haus Melbourne, Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Performance: Friday 3 April 2026 (6:30pm)
Season continues to 5 April 2026
Information and Bookings: www.comedyfestival.com.au
Image: Merrick Watts (supplied)
Review: Jason Whyte
Dining and Cooking