Wine and entertainment: it’s all included in the price of admission at Uncorked Comedy | Wine tasting with a comedian (from the team behind Brewed Laughter comedy beer tastings).

This is a wine tasting like you’ve never experienced before: instead of a serious sommelier talking about what you ‘should’ be detecting on the nose and palate, it’s hosted by a guy who buys bottles from the bargain bin. It’s down to the audience to shout out what you sense, guess the varietal and debate over ratings out of ten before he reads out the tasting notes.

Last night’s host Dave opened with some self-deprecating stories that garnered a fair few chuckles, but it didn’t take long for the wine to loosen up the crowd to the point where they were the ones making the jokes. Many audience members had started on drinks beforehand, priming them for the interaction-heavy style of the show - and the rest joined in with the enthusiastic participation after a few samples (with the chance to win drink vouchers as a good incentive, of course)!

The range served was heavy on sparklings, leaving red-lovers wishing for more after the final drop of shiraz, and the pace was somewhat stilted due to the time it took to distribute the samples of each wine to the crowd. The show was sprinkled with some wine facts and quiz questions which were mostly as dry as… well, a dry wine. But with five generous samples served in the hour, you’re sure to leave with a buzz.

Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or you can go no further than telling red from white, this show makes a good start to a night out with a date or mates. Ultimately, Uncorked Comedy pokes fun at the pretentiousness that’s so often associated with the wine world, and reminds you that anyone can do wine appreciation… just don’t forget to swish and sniff before you sip.