Winslow Wine Shop

Week of Wine in a Box for the Well-Prepared Island

Letâs face it ö no one wants to be put into a sudden emergency situation where hot fresh meals, clean water, a comfortable bed, Friends on Thursday night TV and the easier amenities of life are just the flick of a switch away. We are used to these comforts and the thought of being thrust into sudden survival mode with loved ones to help and provide for is not something that we ever wish for. However ö wishful thinking and the reality of a hard and always potentially dangerous world make the possibility of something such as a week of total power failure, either from natural causes or other source failures, not only quite possible, but somewhat inevitable at least once in all of our lifetimes. If youâve lived on Bainbridge Island long enough you know this is at least an annual event.

We survive these harsh impacts to our daily lives with a little help from our friends, neighbors, relatives and community but not without certain scars ö emotional and sometimes physical ö often a direct result of not being prepared for such an eventuality. I believe we all look at the concept of preparedness as a smart thing to think about, discuss with our family, plan out and even better ö plan to do ö but how many of us actually take the additional step to make sure that we are covered for a week of emergency rationing? How many of us are actually prepared? Do you have a weeks worth of supplies on hand to bear the brunt of an emergency? This is certainly not all doom and gloom! There are certain things that can be done that are actually a fun part of the process.

Imagine this: A rare yet major hurricane-style storm brews and whips up in the Gulf of Alaska growing in power as it comes down the coast. The Puget Sound gets slammed hard with very high winds and torrential rain ö trees are down everywhere, powerlines are like spaghetti all over the region and we residents of Kitsap County lose all power in the first couple of hours of the storm ö with days of wrath still to come. Is that moment the time to run to Central Market to stock up on emergency supplies? I donât think so! The trick is to stash away a week ö maybe even two weeks worth, of emergency "stuff" so that you can ride out the storm as it were, with a little comfort and some dignity for you and your loved ones.

Some things to think about for your week of emergency preparedness in a box: enough food for double your projected needs, water for triple your estimates and water purification supplies, comfort items such as fleece and space blankets and some changes of clothes, a full Swiss-army style knife with all the amenities, waterproof matches, lights like high-intensity pocket lights, a battery powered radio ö and spare batteries. But this is Bainbridge Island, "The Well-Prepared Island" and this is not your average survival kit. A most important, always overlooked component is missing from most kits, WINE!

Wine? YES WINE! Hereâs why: If stored correctly you can have good wine available in your emergency stash that will last years ö unlike water, which has to be swapped out every few months, wines can last a long time in storage ö some up to 20 years or more. Also ö the general health benefits of wine are now well known and range from lowering blood pressure levels, lowering cholesterol and more benefits for your cardiovascular system, to the mental health benefits of something which can greatly and gently help you relax during a stressful event cycle.

So letâs talk about the food component. Wine and food go together right? Some of us are lucky enough to have camping equipment that is in good shape and some camping food stashed away. This is a good plan as long as the fuel holds out and water is available. You will always find wine a beneficial ingredient to expanding the flavor and verity of your "Week (of food) in a Box". The best way to prep a box for emergency survival though is to get some MREâs ö otherwise known as Meals Ready to Eat. Yes ö I know ö military rations. While those of us who are a little more gourmand might cringe at the thought of chowing down an MRE, the other possibility ö not having anything to eat for your children, loving mate and yourself in a time of real emergency is much worse. MRE's have gotten a little better in recent years. So how do you make the humble MRE more than just a survival meal? Pair it up with a decent wine!

Hereâs a simple short list of readily available MREâs and what wines you can pair to them to make them a meal to look forward to at the end of a stressful day. As a side note ö you may as well put something good away to enjoy ö after all ö who wants to be in the middle of a stress-filled emergency and have lousy wine to boot? There is nothing on this recommendation list over $40 and many of these wines are in the $10 - $20 range.

An 8-day survival menu with wine pairing choices:

• Chicken Breast Fillet: pair this with an excellent rich bodied Chardonnay ö Forgeron (Walla Walla) or Franciscan (Oakville/Napa) will do nicely.

• Chicken with Noodles and Vegetables: a Semillon from Chinook (Yakima) or Signorello (Napa) would work well or a Viognier from EXP or Chateau Val Joanis are all great choices here!

• Spaghetti with Meat Sauce: any decent Chianti Classico from Italy like Borgo Pretale or Podera Ciona will do, or a locally produced Sangiovese from Thurston Wolfe (Prosser) or Chappellet (Napa) are also excellent matches for a pasta meal.

• Beef Ravioli in Meat Sauce: I would focus on a traditional Cabernet for this ö Kiona Reserve (Yakima) or Bookwalter (Richland) Cabernetsâ are both lovely with good body and nice fruit balance with just enough structure to break through the heavy meat sauce.

• Beef Enchiladas: any nice inexpensive Merlot should work well with this meal ö I recommend the outstanding little Castle Rock Columbia Valley Merlot (Yakima) but if you want to splurge a little you could put a Woodward Canyon (Walla Walla) away and really have a great glass of wine to unwind with!

• Beef with Mushrooms: this calls for Syrah! Go with either the K Vintners Wahluke Slope Milbrandt (Walla Walla) or a simple Cotes du Rhone from Millieur or Texier for a pretty mouthful of relaxing grape juice!

• Teriyaki Beef with Vegetables: I would go with a Spanish Rioja such as the Muga 1999 Reserve or a nice Malbec from Chile like the Montes ö both are rich and smoky and will compliment the teriyaki nicely.

• Minestrone Stew: Since this is a tomato based vegetarian meal you will want something that is close to a Sangiovese ö I would stash away the Waterbrook Melange (Walla Walla) or the DiStefano Meritage (Woodinville) for a good balance against the Minestrone!

Last but not least - Donât forget a good bottle of Tawny Port as well! This can last you and the family a whole week of carefully doled out sips for everyone each night. Just remember to re-cork the bottle every evening and you have something wonderful to accompany whatever desert you have on hand. Something like the excellent Rosemont Tawny Port from Australia or the amazing Kopke Colheita ports are an excellent way to wrap up a long day and put everyone to bed. The whole idea behind the tawny port rather than a ruby port ö the tawny is crafted as an oxidized wine from the start ö so while it may not last a month after being opened ö it will certainly last out a week of MREâs!

Am I making light of this subject? Absolutely not! Are these serious recommendations? Absolutely! It is recommend by the professionals that all emergency preparation include things that help us remember better, familiar times and provide us with comfort in times of stress. Just make sure that moderation is observed as we donât think a hangover would be a wonderful thing to have to deal with on top of everything else that will be required of you in a real emergency. Just in case this does happen make sure to pack away some Alka-Seltzer in the medicine kit ö itâs still a wonderful cure-all after all these years and will last for several years in storage.

You will also find that your Week of Wine in a Box will make an ideal companion kit with Fox Paw's Romantic Evening Survival Kit.

Cheers, good health, and good luck to you in harder times than these!