Chicago’s comedy scene birthed legends like Robin Williams, John Belushi, and Hannibal Buress, and now a former auto body shop turned restaurant and concert venue in Wicker Park is throwing its hat in the ring with something no one saw coming: wine tasting comedy.
An Idiot’s Guide to Wine is pulling into Chop Shop with only four confirmed Chicago dates on the books, and tickets are already disappearing fast.
5 September 2026 18:00 + more dates
Here’s the full pour on this genius show and why it’s about to be the hottest comedy ticket of the summer.
The show was dreamed up by a comedian with a qualification nobody else in the world has
An Idiot’s Guide to Wine was written and created by Australian comedian Merrick Watts, the only comedian on the planet with a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 3 qualification, which is the kind of credential usually reserved for sommeliers, not stand-up guys.
Watts built his wine obsession after a 1999 trip to Adelaide, later founding Grapes of Mirth, an Australian touring wine-and-comedy festival, back in 2018.
Each city on the US tour gets its own local host running the show live, so while Watts wrote the script and picked the wine facts, the comedian on stage in Chicago is part of the city’s own comedy scene!
It’s already a proven hit everywhere it’s played
Before crossing the Pacific, the show ran for 35 seasons and entertained over 22,000 guests, mostly through sold-out runs across Australia and New Zealand.
The Sydney edition alone holds a 4.8-star rating across 107 reviews, with guests calling it “wonderfully informative, funny.”
Chicago is one of the first US stops as the show expands stateside alongside New York, Denver, Dallas, Seattle, and Cincinnati, meaning the Windy City gets in early on something that’s already been road-tested by tens of thousands of people.
Forget everything you think you know about wine tastings
There’s no swirl-and-spit ritual here and no one’s going to quiz you on tannins.
Each guest gets to go on a wine adventure with six unique wines poured right at their table, while the host works through wine facts, food pairing tips, and jokes over a tight 70-minute set.
It’s wine education minus the snobbery, plus the giggles, which is exactly the point.
The venue is half the show
Chop Shop itself is worth the trip regardless of what’s on stage.
Housed inside a 100-year-old former auto body shop, the 6,000-square-foot space now functions as Chicago’s only spot combining a sustainable butcher shop, deli, restaurant, bar, and 500-capacity concert venue under one roof.
That kind of layered, slightly unexpected setting is exactly the vibe this show is going for
What to know before booking
- Tickets start from $68, with confirmed Chicago dates on July 25, September 5, and October 9, 2026
- The event is 21+ only, ID required, and the venue is ADA compliant
- Recording during the show is not allowed, so leave the phone in your pocket
- Non-alcoholic drinks are available for an extra fee if wine isn’t your thing
🍷 Grab tickets through Fever before the current run sells out, since spots are already going quickly.
