Merrick Watts announced as special guest host of the 2020 Australian Women in Wine Awards
How do you make a (yet another) online wine event in 2020 stand out and be thoroughly entertaining? You get Merrick Watts involved of course! Today the Australian Women in Wine Awards (AWIWA) is thrilled to announce that Merrick Watts – one of Australia’s best-known comedians, presenters and broadcasters – will be the special guest host of the 2020 AWIWA awards ceremony on Tuesday 24 November.
While he’s known for his radio, television and live comedy work, Merrick is also a passionate wine lover who, in recent years, has turned that passion into part of his career. In 2018 Merrick started a series of stand-up gigs called Grapes of Mirth, which tour a range of his stand-up comedian mates to wineries around the country for acclaimed sell-out shows. He is also the co-writer of Delicious Magazine’s Column The Critic and The Comic with Mike Bennie and is a regular contributor for Escape Magazine.
“To pay respect to the women in the wine industry that clearly know heaps more about wine than the blokes do, is one of the greatest betrayals to my gender that I can think of. The genuine honour and privilege it is to be co-hosting this event is not lost on me, even though as a male, most things are!” said Merrick.
The AWIWA 2020 Ceremony is being broadcast live and 100% online commencing at 7:30pm AEDST Tuesday 24 November via the Australian Women in Wine Facebook page – with the broadcast coming to you from the Langton’s TV Sydney studio. Merrick will be joined by AWIWA founder and chair Jane Thomson to present the seven awards on offer.
As in previous years, each wine region and wine business are being encouraged to host their own watch party to cheer on all the finalists and winners (in a COVID-safe manner of course!). Watch parties can be registered here on the AWIWA website.
About the AWIWA
The Australian Women in Wine Awards – which are owned and operated by The Fabulous Ladies’ Wine Society – celebrate and reward the work of women in the Australian wine community, and community leaders who champion equality and fairness for all sexes in the workplace. They are the only awards program for women in wine in the world. The 2020 AWIWA board members are Jeni Port, Toni Carlino, Corrina Wright, Shirley Fraser, Sarah Collingwood, Alexia Roberts and Jane Thomson (Chair). The 2020 AWIWA Platinum Partner is Portavin. Gold Partners are Pernod-Ricard Winemakers, Langton’s, Wine Business Magazine and Hydra Consulting.
About Grapes of Mirth
At its core, Grapes of Mirth (GoM) is the bringing together of comedy and wine through ‘live’ experiences, in the beautiful surrounds of wine country and beyond. Bold, silly at times, and somewhat irreverent – but with this free-thinking ideology comes a deep and passionate love of wine and comedy. GoM’s aim is to increase the awareness of Australia’s wine regions and producers, whilst creating memorable, unique, and welcoming, community led events
