I was never so happy to see the end of a trip.

We had been visiting family in New York City and the weather gods were frowning upon us. Our return flight was grounded in Chicago and our connecting flight to Sioux Falls was canceled. Along with literally hundreds of other stranded travelers, we had to find some place to stay for the night. Luckily we have family — “C” and his wife — in Chicago but getting to them was a bit of a challenge — to say the least.

The previously mentioned weather gods were really upset, and they were sending sleet, rain and snow on the city of Chicago. And, severe winds…

The streets were covered with 5-6 inches of wet slush. We couldn’t walk to our son and daughter-in-law’s house and getting a taxi was impossible. Fortunately our son — “C”– called an Uber and we spent the night with our son and his wife. The next day we continued our journey home and, upon arriving home, I took a very long deep breath and said a silent “Thank you!” I was never so happy to see the end of a trip.

That trip adventure leads me to my continuing story of the wines that pair nicely with each segment of a holiday meal and, how each wine reflects the personality of one of children. We’ve gone through the appetizer with “I,” the main course with “J” and now we’re at the end of the meal with “C.”

Everyone sitting at your table is satiated — bellies are full, plates are empty and minds are beginning to wander. Some of the guests begin to eye the sofa, some begin to look for the TV, some need to take a walk and then, there are those who need to hit the road. So, as a way to tell everyone how important they were to your holiday feast — what’s a good dessert wine to serve?

As people begin to find their place away from the dinner table, why not try a nice sparkling Gewürztraminer?

Starling Castle has a very nice Gewürztraminer and as you pour it into a glass, the white wine sparkles and welcomes you — just like “C” did to us — with its soft golden color. This wine comes from the Pfalz wine region of Germany and is named after the large flocks of starlings that like to settle in the vineyards during grape growing season — something not appreciated by the winemaker! The wine is semi-sweet with apricot aromas and flavors and, with its gentle acidic finish, it reflects the limestone soil of the region.

Maybe as a way to bring a close to your holiday meal, you prefer something a bit more special. How about a wine made from frozen grapes?

Ice wine is very special — just like “C” — because it is made from pressing frozen grapes. The grapes are left on the vines until after they’ve frozen and then they’re very quickly pressed and processed. The resulting wine is sweet, savory and sensational — like “C.” Because it’s fairly rare, it has a hefty price tag but Jackson Triggs Vidal makes a good ice wine for under $20 a bottle. The wine is filled with stone fruit (think mango) aromas and flavors, is slightly acidic but has a soft silky finish. It’s a rare treat.

Perhaps your guests are the kind who like to be bold — like “C.” Well, I would suggest a Valpolicella from Italy. Bolla’s Valpolicella is nicely priced and reflects Italy’s northeast wine producing region. It’s a big red wine but yet has a very light body that has wonderful cherry flavors and is extremely luscious.

There’s one more dessert wine I must mention and that’s a tawny port. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like a port. Ports come from the Douro region of Portugal and are considered a fortified wine. A fortified wine is first made as a normal wine and then a distilled spirit — usually a brandy — is added to the wine. After a period of aging in oak casks, the result is a wine that is a bit nutty — like “C” — and has some figgy tastes. Graham”s Tawny Port is a great example of an easily affordable port. Some of Graham’s port is aged between 30-40 years in casks and the resulting wine is sweet and absolutely delicious. There’s nothing not to like about this wine — just like “C.”

As your dinner guests leave the dinner table and find their respective resting places, show them how much you appreciated their presence by pouring a glass of dessert wine and saying to each of them: “This wine’s for you!” Dessert wines should be treasured — just like “C” – and not taken for granted. They are special.

I’m glad the weather gods gave us a night with our son and his wife. It made an everlasting memory.

Next week, last but not least.

As always, eat and drink in moderation but laugh with reckless abandon!

Cheers!