Robb Merchant is not your typical vintner. For years, he happily worked for Royal Mail by day and followed rugby, whenever. Besides, he lives in Wales, where winemaking is often considered a joke.
Then came a chance to purchase land suitable for grapes, and it was time to realize his wife's dream.
He and Nicola saw their first harvest in 2011. Now, on a mere five acres in Wales, they produce prize-winning wines, host tastings and offer their restored 16th-century barn as an events site.
Welsh wine? Who knew? I didn't, and neither did most of the travel advisors who sampled -- and enjoyed -- the Merchants' wines with me this fall. We were at White Castle Vineyard near Abergavenny, a medieval market town.
Early this year, VisitBritain partnered with FIT specialist Avanti Destinations to launch the Local Flavors in Great Britain promotional drive aimed at advisors. Its theme builds on VisitBritain's brand campaign, I Travel for Local Flavors.
VisitBritain put meat on the theme by identifying six food hubs: Wales; Edinburgh, Scotland; and London, the Lake District, Yorkshire and Cornwall in England.
Avanti created 14 bookable itineraries that devote significant chunks of time to food-and-drink experiences in the six regions, itineraries that Avanti will customize for individuals or groups.
VisitBritain and Avanti hosted 21 travel advisors and three journalists in the U.K. in November. We sampled bits of the Avanti itineraries while split into three groups.
Mark Grundy, Avanti Destinations COO, said advisors could book any component of the three itineraries, including a dinner that all participating agents shared at the House of Commons in London.
My group's visit to Wales most resembled Avanti's suggested six-night Bite of Wales program. At the vineyards, the Merchants laid out a tasting for us featuring their own reds, whites, sparkling wine and port, with locally sourced artisanal cheeses.
Further helping to upend the old canard that the U.K. doesn't have good food, Merchant told us that Abergavenny hosts a food festival, for which hotels sell out a year ahead. The event's website advises that the fest attracts 30,000 attendees on the third weekend in September.
Merchant added that there are about 20 "good, high-end restaurants" within 10 miles of Abergavenny.
As for the 25 vineyards in Wales, almost all debuted in the past 10 to 12 years. Together, he added, the vineyards produce 100,000 bottles a year on about 150 acres.
Avanti's 14 suggested Local Flavors itineraries include wineries, breweries, distilleries and, in the case of Cornwall, a visit to Britain's first tea plantation at Tregothnan.
More options include cheesemakers, smokehouses and tastings of local specialties, such as Welsh cakes, "the world's best gingerbread" in the Lake District or haggis in Edinburgh plus immersive food walking tours in places like Harrogate in Yorkshire or food markets like London's Borough Market. Gardens appear on itineraries, too, from Cornwall to Yorkshire.
Avanti suggests meals reminiscent of banqueting traditions as well as 21st-century, farm-to-table choices. And, no surprise, morning and afternoon teas fit in everywhere.
All itineraries include standard sightseeing attractions, as well, but our Cardiff Lunch and Landmarks tour, delivered by local operator Loving Welsh Food, cleverly merged the food experience with the attractions.
As a result, after hearing a short spiel about Cardiff Castle, we had tea served with the traditional bara brith, essentially a very moist fruitcake, in a castle gatehouse.
We explored the "city of arcades" by first stopping at Castle Arcade to sample the goods at the aptly named Fabulous Welshcakes. These treats can be handled like cake, but look like small pancakes.
A water taxi ride on Cardiff Bay along the city's redeveloped waterfront brought us to lunch at the old Coal Exchange, a 19th-century building under restoration and operating as the Exchange Hotel.
Finally, dessert was an affair of intricate creations, served up at a cafe inside the 2004 Wales Millennium Centre, a performing arts facility with an aggressively industrial look.
Sian Roberts, co-founder of Loving Welsh Food, said she varies the lunch sites for her tour, but her aim is to introduce visitors to Welsh food and drink. She's found that "even the Welsh aren't too well informed about this."
Our day, including the de rigueur pub dinner, ended with a fishing trip, a truncated version of a daylong charter into Bristol Channel just beyond Cardiff Bay. We were getting in touch with our food sources, although our small-fry catches went back into the water.
Travel advisor resources
VisitBritain highlights a Local Flavors theme in order to "connect with people's emotional reasons for travel," said Lisa Sjolund, senior travel trade manager for the western and central U.S. Besides, she said, "we need to tell a better story about food and drink in the U.K.," about the little-known experiences available regionally.
VisitBritain tapped Avanti as a partner because of its expertise with culinary tourism and rail travel, Sjolund said. Rail is important because "we need to have visitors understand how easy it is to go other places."
Agent resources include flyers and e-brochures plus access to the Avanti packages and the BritAgent specialist program, all found at www.avantidestinations.com/visitbritain.