The afternoon bottle opening and an evening of Toscana IGT, a great alternative to Chianti

"Starting a bit early are we?" was the comment directed at me as I sat at a friend's kitchen table, surrounded by a half-dozen open bottles of wine.

It was late afternoon, the time when I like to open up my wines that I will be serving at dinner. I like to do this for a couple of reasons.

The first is to check to see if any of the wines are faulty as nothing is worse than sitting down to dinner, pulling the cork, only to find that the wine is corked or that you hate it.

One of the six on the table that day fell into the "yuck" category. But by opening them up in the afternoon, it allows you to either run back to the SAQ or make alternative choices from your cellar or, as in my case, save it until the end of the evening, when quality really won't matter that much anyway.

There are other good reasons to open your wine, or wines, a couple of hours before dinner.

If you are more culinarily inclined, you can tweak your recipe to match up better with the wine. But on an even more practical level, it allows you to judge whether or not the wine needs some time in a carafe, and even if it doesn't, the vast majority of wines improves with a little shot of air, and pouring out a couple of ounces and putting the cork back in will suffice.

After I had explained all this to my friend, she said she had never thought of doing that.

Well, wine is not fine china, and I find that most wines are in fact better the day after being opened.

"Don't be afraid to play with your wines," I told her.

So the same goes for all of you out there. At the very least, pour yourself a couple of ounces and come back to it from time to time to see how it evolves. It's all part of learning more about wine.

She then asked me as she looked at the bottles on the table, "What's tonight's theme?"

My friends know when I bring a number of bottles for a group dinner, I like to be thematic. I told her all the bottles were Tuscan IGTs. From the blank expression on her face, I figured I needed to explain.

Table wine gets sexy

IGT stands for Indicazione Geografica Tipica, and is the Italian version of the French Vin de Pays category of wines.

It was created back in 1992 for a separate category for wines that up to that point were simply labelled "Vino da Tavolo" or Table Wine.

Table Wine is considered the lowest category of wines, and, in most European countries, the region or vintage is not even allowed to be mentioned on the label. This new IGT category allows for the Toscana (Tuscany) name to be mentioned on the labels of the region's most expensive bottles.

In the sometimes complicated world of European appellation systems, wines are classified within regions according to certain rules.

These rules have been imposed for two reasons: to ensure a minimum level of quality and to protect the regional typicity. In terms of quality, these rules, depending on the region, will deal with everything from the maximum yields that can be harvested, which prevents winemakers from using diluted or unripe grapes, to the amount of time a wine must spend in an oak barrel.

Some places, like Rioja and Barolo, even impose an amount of time that a wine must be cellared in bottles at the vineyard before being sold.

But the question of which grapes are allowed to be used, and even the maximum and minimum percentage of each grape, is more controversial.

These are the rules that are supposed to protect the identity of the region by assuring winemakers use indigenous or historically grown grapes of the area as opposed to more popular international varietals.

These rules generally work. In part because of pride, winemakers continue the thread of history by working with the same grapes that helped make the reputation of the area.

Another reason is the marketing benefit of a region's name. Burgundy is a great example. If you make red wine, according to appellation rules, you can only use pinot noir. Could other grapes work well there? Sure. But if the winemaker decides to plant and produce syrah or cabernet franc, he must label his wine Vin de Pays as opposed to Burgundy.

Which do you think is an easier sell? Well, Burgundy, of course.

Sometimes certain grapes can perform really well in certain areas, but winemakers have to be prepared to deal with a lesser classification, making it harder to sell, especially if it is an expensive wine. There is a place where these secondary classifications are not an impediment, though. It's where Table Wines and IGT wines are considered the high end of the region and where some winemakers have purposefully kept the IGT category. In Tuscany, it's easier to sell an IGT for much more than the best-known appellation, Chianti.

The Tuscan dilemma

A number of these IGT wines are known as the super-Tuscans. Some are amongst the best-known, and most expensive, wines in the world and can often be found in the best wine collections: Tignanello, Sassicaia, Masseto, Ornellaia are but a few of these wines.

And what's so super about them?

One innovation was the use of Bordeaux-style barriques to age the wine, rather than the use of larger barrels, which is still the norm all over Chianti.

But the biggest innovation was the grapes. Back in the late 1960s, the rules governing Chianti were strict, with the sangiovese grape dominating the blend. But two men, both from the famous Antinori family, decided to plant and produce wines made with cabernet sauvignon. These wines were Tignanello and Sassicaia.

Although Sassicaia was the first wine to be marketed, Tignanello was the most groundbreaking in that the Tignanello vineyard was in the heart of the region of Chianti Classico, the oldest and most prestigious part of Chianti.

But even though Antinori labelled the wine Vino da Tavolo, it garnered much critical acclaim. Tignanello's success inspired other Chianti houses to experiment with not only cabernet sauvignon, but also cabernet franc, merlot, syrah, pinot noir and white grapes like chardonnay and sauvignon blanc.

And despite a relaxing of Chianti laws in the early '90s to allow up to 15 per cent of international varietals, and an effort to allow wines like Tignanello to use the Chianti name, few winemakers have done so.

Who could blame them? By then, so many poor-quality Chiantis had cheapened the name of the appellation. Chianti at that moment was not synonymous with fine wine. Since then, many fine Chiantis have been made, but the IGT wines have become a significant part of the identity of Tuscany.

"Cool. So these are all expensive bottles," my friend said as she picked up one. "Well, not every IGT is considered a "super-Tuscan," was my reply.

Many of these international varietals have proved so successful, as has the Toscana IGT category, that a number of wineries happily make IGT wines in all price categories. She looked disappointed. "This one's $40," I said, pointing to the best of the wines I had just opened. "A super-Tuscan?" she asked.

"I am not really sure when they technically become super, but it's pretty damn good," I replied. (See Petrolo in this week's suggestions).

THIS WEEK: TASTING IGT TOSCANA

Toscana Igt 2007, Col-di-Sasso, Banfi, Italy red, $14.95, SAQ # 344655. I was impressed by the rich, almost explosive fruitiness. A blend of cabernet sauvignon and sangiovese, the plump, juicy fruit is contrasted with just enough leather and tobacco to give it some of that Italian swing. Great acidity and soft supple tannins. Give it 15 minutes in a carafe, serve it around 15C, and have fun. Drink now-2010. Food pairing: apéritif, spaghetti with meat sauce.

Toscana Igt 2008, Dogajolo, Carpineto, Italy red, $18.20, SAQ # 978874. Young, juicy, vibrant. Still so young that it hits you like a wave, but this is chock full of coffee, cherry and cassis, with just enough oak to round it out. Tannins are present, but very soft, so this can be drunk now, and with pleasure. Great sour cherry on the finish. Drink now-2011. Food pairing: great barbecue wine, chicken brochettes with roasted peppers.

Toscana Igt 2005, Moro, Fattoria Montellori, Italy red, $18.95, SAQ # 555219. One of the more classically made wines of all the IGTs. Very Chianti-like with its soft red fruits, refreshing acidity and earthier notes. Finishes with an interesting smoked herbal quality. This screams for pasta and pizza. Drink now-2010. Food pairing: pasta, especially with sun-dried tomatoes or meat sauce.

Toscana Igt 2006, Il Ducale, Ruffino, Italy red, $18.90, SAQ # 11133204. Syrah has to be the red wine world's most malleable grape. It's always syrah, but seems to show a cool little regional accent no matter where it's grown. Here it's but a minor part of the blend but adds a beautiful peppery note to the more austere, fresh leather and cherry notes of the sangiovese. Great all-around wine - not complicated; just so easy to drink. Drink now-2012. Food pairing: bavette and other grilled minute steaks, roasted white meats with herbs.

Toscana Igt 2005, Tre, La Brancaia, Italy red, $24.20, SAQ # 10503963. Sangiovese-dominated with 20-per-cent cabernet sauvignon and merlot. While there is a nice plummy character, this is very Chianti-like with lots of leather and cherry, sandlewood and a little barnyard funk. Really enjoyable, elegant, all-purpose wine. Drink now-2014. Food pairing: Roasted white meats.

Toscana Igt 2005, Torrione, Petrolo, Italy red, $40.25, SAQ # 10843407. Wonderful depth. This is one of those wines that are as much fun to swirl in your glass as to drink. Cherry, cassis and brighter fruits, perhaps raspberry and plum. Still fairly well-dosed with oak, but it doesn't get too much in the way; rather, it gives a soft, almost comforting, smoky aroma. Drink now-2014. Food pairing: steak on the grill.