Yesterday I braved the Friday-before-Christmas grocery shopping crowds and picked up a carload of baking ingredients and other assorted goodies. With my loot, I should be able to create holiday gifts for friends and family, as well as have some treats at home for casual entertaining.

But after all that shopping, loading and unloading — not to mention the traffic these days — I had little energy left for cooking dinner. So instead, I created a simple charcuterie and cheese platter that included thin slices of aged salami and pistachio-studded mortadella along with some odds and ends of cheeses I had in the fridge.

To go with? I wanted something clean and refreshing to reenergize me, so I reached for a rosé. People seem to think of it as a summertime wine (if they think of it at all!), but a bright, dry, crisp rosé is so versatile and food friendly that I love it year-round. This time, I reached for a new one — the Kim Crawford 2007 Rosé Gisborne ($13). This is the first vintage of this wine to make it to the U.S., and I think it is a winner. Bursting with fresh red berry aromas and flavors that persist through a long, crisp finish, picking up splashes of citrus and light creamy notes along the way. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.