The 20th annual case of wine is a good gift

I make no lists and I don't check 'em twice, and I don't care if you've been naughty or nice.

More likely, you've been both.

So I want you to have, because you deserve it, or give to a deserving person the 20th Annual Christmas Case of Wine, 12 bottles, six red and six white, from diverse countries and regions that express their sense of the grape with authority and authenticity.

Of course any of these bottles purchased separately would make a fine host or hostess gift or would be appropriate with many of the dinners of winter and Yuletide.

There's one principle here:

Enjoyment.

Yorkville Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2001, Yorkville Highlands. About $12, a Great Bargain. A delightful (and organically grown) sauvignon blanc in the fresh and scintillating California tradition.

Saint-Veran "Hauts de Leynes" 2002, Verget. About $14. A pure and intense chardonnay from southern Burgundy between the Maconnais and Beaujolais.

Tiefenbrunnen Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2002. About $15. A pinot grigio of unusual character that puts the lie to all the insipid examples that inundate our shores.

Schloss Vollrads Riesling Kabinett 2001, Rheingau. About $17. You need to try riesling, one of the world's "noble" grapes. And 2001 is a fabulous year in Germany. "Kabinett" is the driest level of German wine.

Folie a Deux Zinfandel 2000, Amador County. About $18. Everything you want in an Amador County zin: size, power, intensity, jammy fruit with a surprising touch of elegance.

Abbaye Sainte-Eugenie Reserve Jeanne Esteve 2000, Corbieres. About $18. Carignan is the primary grape in this region in France's southern Languedoc region, but the use of syrah and mourvedre is growing. Here's a full-fledged, ripe, earthy, meaty example. Sancerre 2002, Pascal Jolivet. About $19. A lovely exercise in the sauvignon blanc grape in the classic Loire Valley manner.

Markham Merlot 2001, Napa Valley. About $20. A wine that exemplifies Markham's ability to make large-framed but supple and approachable red wines.

Merryvale "Starmont" Chardonnay 2001. Napa Valley. About $21. A different style from the Saint-Veran, more "stylish" and flamboyant but true to the grape.

Catena Malbec 2001, Mendoza, Argentina. About $22. The malbec grape, little used in Bordeaux now, is what Argentina does best, and this is a serious, sturdy, flavorful model.

Gargiulo Aprile 2001, Oakville, Napa Valley. About $23. A winsome and powerful blend of 95 percent sangiovese grapes, 5 percent cabernet sauvigon.

Chateau Pailhas 2000, Saint Emilion Grand Cru. About $30. The prinicpal grapes in Saint Emilion, in what's called Bordeaux's "Right Bank" are merlot and cabernet franc, both of which performed beautifully in this great vintage.

The price on this case of wine is about $229, plus tax. Most retail stores offer a 10 percent discount on case purchases.

And have a safe and merry holiday.