Funny business in Nagambie

When comedians Merrick Watts and Lizzy Hoo were in the Nagambie Lakes wine region for the Comedy in the Vines festival, we decided it would be a good idea to show them around.

First stop, for Merrick at least, was Wacky Splash and Play, a huge inflatable water park with slides, climbing walls, obstacle courses and more at Buckley Park.

The two then met up for a cold beer while enjoying the superb view across the lake at Nagambie Brewery & Distillery.

The finer things

The dynamic duo sat down to lunch at Mitchelton Estate, one of the region's finest wineries. Nagambie has a little micro-climate really suited for wine growing," says Merrick. "It has more sunny days than the Gold Coast. That's a lot of sunny days."

The meal is chicken salad with pear, apricot and turmeric paired with a glass of riesling. Then it was off to Mitchelton Gallery of Aboriginal Art downstairs.

The work of more than 15 different art centres and communities around Australia is on display here. One of the more interesting pieces is ‘Message Stick Vehicle’, a Vietnam War ambulance painted by 200 First Nations artists and recognised as a token of peace and unity by Nelson Mandela and Whitlam.

Vintage vibes

Another prestigious vineyard is Tahbilk Winery and Cellar Door, where the first Marsanne vines were planted in 1927 and you can tour the supposedly haunted cellars. “Tahbilk is really famous for growing this Marsanne,” says Merrick, “and legitimately makes one of the best varieties worldwide.”

At the cellar door, you can taste different vintages of the Marsanne. Lizzy and Merrick sample one from 2017 and another from 1999.

“That smells good and tastes even better,” says Lizzy of the 1999 drop. “What would you eat with this?” “It’s such a beautiful wine,” replies Merrick. “On its own, it’s amazing or maybe with a bit of seafood.”