IINTA EDITORIAL FEATURE
THE STORY BEHIND THE BOTTLE
FROM
TORONTO
TO THE
VINEYARD
GRAPEBRANDS Fine Wines & Spirits
The GRAPEBRANDS story didn’t begin in a boardroom. It began with a change of scenery.
After building a successful business in Canada, founder Donato Carozza left Toronto for Italy to learn wine from the ground up—trading city life for blue overalls and hands-on work inside a winery.
From bottling and filtration to cleaning presses, Donato immersed himself in the craft and the people behind every bottle. Then, during a late-night conversation over grapes in Sardinia, a winemaker asked a simple question: Why not go back to Toronto and start a wine company?
So he did.
GRAPEBRANDS was founded in Toronto in 1999, beginning a story built on relationships, discovery and a genuine respect for the people and places behind great wine.
“The luxury came later. First came the blue overalls.”
Because behind every great bottle, there should be a story worth telling.
02
GRAPEBRANDS TODAY
GRAPEBRANDS TODAY
THE WORLD
BEHIND THE BOTTLE
What started with curiosity has grown into something much bigger.
Today, GRAPEBRANDS Fine Wines & Spirits represents more than 1000 stories and over 2,000 exclusive wines, covering some of the world’s most interesting producers with restaurants, sommeliers, collectors and wine lovers here at home.
But numbers only tell part of the story.
At its heart, GRAPEBRANDS is built on relationships—with the people who grow the grapes, make the wine, pour it and ultimately enjoy it. From iconic estates to hidden gems, every bottle offers a chance to discover somewhere, and someone, new.
And while the portfolio may be impressive, the philosophy behind it feels refreshingly uncomplicated: good wine should be exciting, not intimidating.
That sense of discovery has followed GRAPEBRANDS from Donato’s earlier days learning the business in Europe to the company it is today.
The bottles may come from around the world. The connection starts at the table.
GOOD WINE SHOULD
BE EXCITING,
NOT INTIMIDATING.
WINE, WITHOUT THE RULEBOOK
You don’t need to know every region, vintage or tasting note to appreciate a beautiful bottle. Sometimes you simply know when you’ve found something you love.
GRAPEBRANDS takes a refreshingly approachable view: knowledge matters, quality matters, but enjoying the wine matters too.
Whether it’s discovered at a favourite restaurant, opened around the dinner table or shared with friends, the perfect bottle is often simply the one everyone wants another glass of.
03
CHARLIE’S BURGERS
WHERE
GOOD TASTE
MEETS A
GOOD TIME
Charlie’s Burgers &
The CB Wine Program.
A beautiful bottle shouldn’t always be saved for someday. Open it tonight.
EST.
TORONTO, 2009
12 YEARS OF THE
CB WINE PROGRAM
WINES FROM
AROUND THE WORLD.
“Sophistication and fun were never opposed.”
Charlie’s Burgers started in Toronto in 2009 with a deliciously simple idea: bring together incredible chefs, unexpected locations and people who really love a good meal.
Founded by Franco Stalteri and Donato Carozza, CB has since collaborated with chefs recognized by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, The Michelin Guide and Relais & Chateaux across Canada, Europe and the U.S.
Today, that same love of discovery lives on through the CB Wine Program, bringing remarkable, hard-to-find wines from vineyards around the world directly to its members.
Good food, Great wine. Even better stories.
04
THE CB EXPERIENCE
THE CB EXPERIENCE.
WINE,
BUT MAKE
IT FUN
Sometimes the perfect pairing is wine, fries and gossip.
LUXURY WITHOUT THE STIFFNESS.
Charlie’s Burgers has never been particularly interested in doing things the expected way.
What began as a series of private dinners became one of Toronto’s most talked-about culinary experiences, bringing celebrated chefs into unexpected spaces around the world.
In 2010, Food & Wine ranked CB #3 among its “100 Best New Food and Drink Experiences in the World.” The team was also instrumental in the five-year project to bring The Michelin Guide to Toronto and Canada.
Impressive? Absolutely.
Because the CB version of luxury isn’t about following every rule. It’s about discovering something exceptional—and having a very good time while you’re at it.
Stuffy? Never.
05
FROM VINEYARD TO TABLE
FROM VINEYARD TO TABLE.
THE CB
WINE
PROGRAM
Now in its 12th year, the CB Wine Program takes the guesswork out of discovering really good wine.
Each month, members receive a custom-curated selection of three to six bottles from a different producer somewhere in the world, imported exclusively for members and hand delivered from vineyard to table.
CB seeks out small, organic and often biodynamic producers whose wines aren’t found in stores, including award-winning names recognized by leading wine critics such as James Suckling and Robert Parker.
Basically, they do the searching.
You get to do the pouring.
“The curation is the luxury.”
Finding your bottle.
You don’t have to be a “wine person” to know when you’ve found a bottle you love. Maybe it’s something completely unexpected. Maybe it reminds you of a place, a dinner or a person.
Or maybe you take one sip and immediately photograph the label for the group chat.
Stay curious. Drink what you love.
THE BEST BOTTLE?
The one you want to pour for somebody else.
“Good food. Good people. A beautiful bottle. And nowhere else you particularly need to be.”
Stop saving the beautiful things for someday. Open them tonight.
06
CONSIDER THIS YOUR INVITATION
CONSIDER THIS YOUR INVITATION.
A LITTLE
SOMETHING
FOR IINTA
MEMBERS
“There’s a certain satisfaction in being the person who knows.”
The satisfaction before is small; starts posting about it. The tiny producer nobody has discovered yet. The bottle someone tastes at your house and immediately asks:
“Where did you get this?”
Members also enjoy complimentary corkage at participating Michelin-starred and Michelin-recognized Toronto restaurants. 10% off the CB webstore and priority access to CB events.
EXCLUSIVE IINTA MEMBER OFFER
IINTA × GRAPEBRANDS
THE CB WINE PROGRAM
JOIN MONTHLY + RECEIVE $50
Join the monthly CB Wine Program and receive a $50 gift card to the CB webstore.
YOUR EXCLUSIVE IINTA PROMO CODE
USE CODE
iinta2026
Use this code when joining the monthly CB Wine Program.
10% off the CB webstore
+ priority access to CB events
Curated monthly wine selections from producers around the world.
Receive a $50 CB webstore gift card with promo code iinta2026.
Limited-time gift with purchase valued at $130.
DISCOVER GRAPEBRANDS
Fine Wines & Spirits · Woodbridge, Ontario
Good wine. Great food. Even better stories.