In my hunt for entertaining shows to stream, I stumbled upon a gem. V is For Vino features an affable host, unpretentious wine speak, lush vineyards, and a glimpse inside the kitchen of a local chef. Available on Amazon, the trio of first-season episodes gives me the urge to pack a bag and head west to California. 

The lead vocalist for a rock band, Vince Anter landed in Los Angeles a few years back, seeking fame and fortune. Of course, he wasn’t alone in his dream. “As you get older,” Vince laughs, “self-awareness kicks in.” Once he arrived in California, with the scores of other talented musicians, Vince realized he “was good, not great.”

But he did possess an impressive array of other skills. His family owned a restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio, and Vince knew his way around a kitchen.  Cooking and bartending stints paid the bills while he studied in college and chased his music dreams in California. Equipped with Information Technology and Business degrees and comfortable in front of the camera, Vince gradually formed an idea.

As he plodded through textbooks, flashcards, and tasting sessions to earn his sommelier certification, Vince developed the concept to travel to various wine regions and “tell their story.” At the time, he didn’t see a show with a similar plotline. “I can do this – and I am going to give it a shot,” Vince recalls.

“Wine is as close as you can get to a place without physically being there.”

Three long years later, V is for Vino debuted. In each of the inaugural episodes, Vince features the culture and history of a California wine region, a local winemaker and chef, and an easy-to-understand lesson about the confusing parts of a good wine. A one-man show, Vince writes, hosts, produces, and edits the series. The only thing he doesn’t do is operate the camera.

So how does one manage to get a show into the Amazon viewer library? Vince explains Amazon, like other platforms, has a stringent review process involving video quality, content, length, and format.

Once an episode is accepted and plunked on their channel for all to see, viewers must still find the show among Amazon’s vast selection. Amazon suggests shows to subscribers based on watch numbers. And these suggestions lead to more viewers and streams. It’s a vicious cycle and, after the first season, Vince is pleased with his audience numbers.

Photo courtesy of Vince Anter

I ask Vince how he –  who had not yet produced a single episode – convinced the chef at Industrial Eats to devote an entire evening to cooking and filming for a show still in the idea stage? After all, Jeff Olsson, the owner/chef, has no problems filling tables at his Santa Barbara area hot spot. Vince chuckles and says, “I was honest. I was real. With nothing to present but an idea, I told him I’d do my best. I guess he appreciated that.”

Like the second time you do almost anything, Vince’s upcoming season is falling into place with fewer headaches. And this time around, wine and tourism boards are backing Vince and his project. “Bragging a bit,” he explains his first season was self-funded. And he’s glad. “There’s something to be said when you do it yourself. Every cent counts,” he says.

“Wine is the only artwork you can drink.” –  Luis Fernando Olaverri

And if this series doesn’t last – and oh, I hope it does – it will lead to something else. Vince is certain. “If I hadn’t worked in restaurants to support the music gigs, I wouldn’t have learned about the sommelier business, and I wouldn’t have thought of the show idea,” he reflects. “I’ve learned to keep my head down and work – look up in a year, not a week,” he adds.

I’m rooting for Vince and V is For Vino and hope a network will pick them up. I’d love him to be the next Guy Fieri or Anthony Bourdain. But, as he’s grown older and married, this millennial has redefined success. “When I was younger, I wanted to be a rock star. Now, if I’m able to travel with my wife and do this show, that is success enough for me. Anything else is gravy.”

Cheers, Vince!

Other stories you may enjoy – The Defined Dish and an Alabama olive farm.