"The Sam Brannan Napa Valley Champagne Museum"

Samuel Brannan, at age 33, was touted as California’s first millionaire. But that was only one of Brannan’s firsts. He was California’s first newspaper publisher with his newspaper called The California Star. In San Francisco Brannan was credited with establishing the first school, first volunteer fire brigade, and first bank.

The Sam Brannan Napa Valley Champagne Museum exhibits some antique methode champenoise machines once used at the historic Christian Brother’s Greystone Winery in St. Helena which currently accomodates the Culinary Institute of America. In addition to wine related antiques and memoribilia, the three-foot stone vault also serves as a personal wine cellar for Napa Valley winemaker Jeff Smith of Dusinberre Cellars.

The vault was originally constructed as a place of final resting for Brannan’s family which until 1913 layed six relatives to include his mother, aunt, and infant son. In 1913 the City of Calistoga passed an ordinance prohibiting housing of non-cremated remains above ground. So the family’s bodies were in turn moved to the cemetery on Spring Street in St. Helena.

Sam Brannan reportedly only drank expensive champagne. At a lavish party he put on to convincepotentialinvestors to invest in his new hot springs resort. He raised his glass and proclaimed "I will make this place the Calistoga of Sarafornia!" meaning to say " I will make this place the Saratoga of California!." After his champagne influenced blunder he was reported as saying, "Then so be it, we will name it Calistoga!"