Heroes of wine: Albert Smith

"The man who sold the alps" was the world's first popular travel influencer. He also took wine to new heights. Literally.

A creative stunt in an usual place gains followers and views. It propels a little known journalist to fame. In turn this “influencer” starts a popular craze that lasts to this day. By that measure Albert Smith, born in 1816 in Surrey, was the world’s first travel-influencer. Best of all, he really loved his wine.

The stunt was his climb of Mont Blanc in …