The concept is simple: five wines to try, two comedians, and one wine expert. If that description doesn’t appeal, then this show might not be for you.
In Pour Taste, hosted by Australian comedians Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh, lasts an hour and a twenty minutes, but trust me, you won’t want it to end.
The comedians start by warming up the crowd, asking questions from their checklist including “What’s the most expensive bottle of wine you’ve bought?” and “Have you ever ordered a glass of wine in a nightclub?” The crowd work is excellent, and every back and forth ends in peals of laughter.
After the hosts have got to know their audience, the wine tasting begins, consisting of two whites, one rose, and two reds. The wine expert explains a bit about each wine, including its provenance, its flavour notes, and suggested pairings. It’s not all jokes and you might actually learn a thing or two – I can now actually explain what tannins means… well pretty much anyway.
But don’t worry, no one is getting carried away with the intricacies of sommelier knowledge thanks to The Bullshit Bell which is rung anytime someone sounds like they’re getting a bit too snobby.
Each new wine is punctuated by a dance-along rendition of the Australian kids Classic “Hot Potato.” It is ridiculous, but so much fun.
The pace speeds up towards the end (or maybe that was my concept of time after five glasses of wine) and sadly the night is brought to a close, with the sommelier of the night, Edward Almond, deservedly receiving lots of love from the audience. The wine experts change regularly, perhaps because most sommeliers aren’t used to having a Bullshit Bell when they are recommending a wine. Needless to say, the entire audience left with massive smiles on their faces.
This is the perfect show to start your night if you’re prepared to be a bit silly while tasting some delicious wine.
In Pour Taste is running until 24 August (not 20) at Bijou, Assembly Rooms.
Tickets available here.
Image courtesy of Nick Mick Pics, provided to The Student as press material.
