In the mid 1800s an entrepreneur named Sam Brannan loaded up a ship and sailed to San Francisco with single men and families who would later settle in the north of Napa Valley. Sam, who became California’s first millionaire, purchased 2,000 acres of land and began developing a resort spa he hoped would rival Saratoga in New York state. Numerous historians claim that a local resident made a tipsy proclamation when stating that this resort would become the “Calistoga of Sarafornia” when they actually meant to say the “Saratoga of California.” The name Calistoga stuck, and settlers from the east coast first headed west to Napa, then north up the valley and began planting grape vines. The resort opened in 1862, but the completion of the railroad and railroad station in 1868 brought rich and famous sun seekers to the valley in droves. Today the train station has been reborn as the Calistoga Depot, Jean-Charles Boisset’s new, over the top, drinking and dining venue with impeccably restored train cars serving everything from Champagne and caviar to artisanal chocolate. Our favorite is the old bar car refitted as the First Millionaire’s Saloon which serves locally crafted cocktails in honor of Sam Brannan.

Calistoga is the northernmost AVA in Napa Valley and most of the grapes are grown on hillsides with elevations between 300 and 1,200 feet above sea level. The vines are cooled by Pacific air that enters Napa Valley through gaps in the northwestern hills and temperature fluctuations during the summer can be as much as 60 degrees with hot sun filled days and cold, breezy nights. The soils are predominately volcanic and most of the plantations are red grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Merlot, Syrah, and Zinfandel. We tasted more than 40 Calistoga AVA wines this week, and these are our seven favorites, they include a red blend, Merlot, Syrah, and a few Cabernet Sauvignons.