September 15, 2026
Wine is the story of a land, its people, its craft and its cuisine. For ten years, that conviction has driven BWD (Best Wines Distribution), which is marking its anniversary with a standout event: BWD Portfolio Tasting 2026. After Prague (21 October) and Brno (22 October), it arrives in Bratislava on 23 October, where dozens of renowned winemakers from around the world will gather, giving visitors the chance to meet the producers in person, discover the style of their wines and their singular approach to winemaking and, not least, taste the wines themselves.
Over the past decade, Slovakia has come a long way in how it perceives wine. Once merely part of the menu, it has become an inseparable part of the dining experience. The number of strong wine lists, specialised sommeliers and guests who want to understand what they are drinking keeps growing. Behind this shift are the companies that have managed to bring the world's wineries closer to the Slovak market.
One of them is BWD, which since 2016 has connected prestigious wine producers with hotels, restaurants, the trade and private clients. What began as a Slovak company has gradually become an established brand operating in the Czech Republic as well. Besides Bratislava and Košice, it now distributes wines to Prague and Brno too, with the ambition of gradually covering the entire Czech market.
Wine as an experience, not just a product
BWD's philosophy has never rested on distributing bottles alone. At its core is building long-term partnerships with wineries and conveying the authentic experiences behind the wine. That is why the company organises expert tastings, masterclasses, tasting dinners and private meetings with winemakers. Personal contact with the people who make the wine is among the greatest values of the modern wine world.
This philosophy is reflected in the company's portfolio itself. Rather than constantly expanding the number of labels, it builds on carefully cultivated partnerships with respected wineries from France, Italy, Austria, Spain, Argentina and other wine regions around the world.
When wine inspires travel
Wine tourism has also boomed in recent years. Visiting a winery is no longer reserved for experts. More and more travellers plan their holidays around culinary experiences, and wine is becoming a natural part of discovering a region.
BWD, too, regularly organises wine trips to iconic wine regions, where participants can visit vineyards, cellars and winemakers' private residences. These typically include intimate tastings, stays in prestigious wine regions and encounters that are hard to come by on an ordinary visit. Such journeys prove that wine is one of the most powerful ambassadors of tourism. Getting to know a country through its terroir, its cuisine and its local producers is among the most authentic ways to travel.
A partner to gastronomy and hospitality
The importance of quality wine is growing in the hospitality sector too. A luxury hotel, a fine-dining restaurant or a modern bistro no longer sees the wine list as an add-on, but as part of the guest's overall experience.
Over the past years, BWD has collaborated on dozens of tasting dinners with leading Slovak restaurants. Guests have been able to taste wines from prestigious wineries such as Delamotte & Salon, Jean Chartron, Domaine Arlaud and Tunella in the presence of their owners or head winemakers.
Professional education is an equally important part of the company's work. Regular masterclasses for HoReCa professionals are led by experienced sommeliers and the wine producers themselves. Partners can also enrol in the internationally recognised WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) programme, one of the most prestigious certification systems in the wine world.
A decade of portfolio building culminates in the BWD Portfolio Tasting 2026
The flagship event of the anniversary year will be the BWD Portfolio Tasting series, taking place 21 October in Prague (Café Rustonka), 22 October in Brno (Wannieck Gallery) and 23 October 2026 in Bratislava (SNG, the Slovak National Gallery, Átrium).
The event celebrates the company's ten years of activity, but it is also a unique chance to taste hundreds of wines from the BWD portfolio in a single day and to meet in person more than thirty winemakers from various countries, including Gaja, Philipponnat, Henri Giraud, Ca’Marcanda and Ferrari Trento. Visitors will be able to talk directly with the people behind each wine, compare the styles of different terroirs and discover new vintages from iconic wineries. The event is intended for gastronomy and hospitality professionals, sommeliers and business partners, as well as anyone passionate about quality wine.
It is precisely the winemakers' personal presence that makes the Portfolio Tasting far more than a conventional tasting. It is a gathering of experts, an exchange of experience, networking and a chance to glimpse behind the scenes of the world of wine.
Quality over quantity
Over ten years, Best Wines Distribution has earned the trust of major hotel and gastronomy operations in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Wines from its portfolio can be found in hotels and restaurants such as Kempinski, Crowne Plaza, Tatry Mountain Resorts, ECK and IRIN, and in the Prague venues Casa de Carli, SaSaZu and La Finestra in Cucina.
The company stresses that success does not rest on the number of labels, but on the quality of the selection and expert service. Its sales representatives are also experienced sommeliers who help clients build wine lists, train staff and pair wine with food.
A celebration of the passion for wine
Today wine connects gastronomy, hospitality, travel and education, and creates a community of people looking for authentic experiences. Behind every bottle of wine stands a person, whole generations, a land and stories worth getting to know, ideally in person, at one table, with a glass of good wine in hand.
Event: BWD Portfolio Tasting 2026
Date: 23 October 2026, 15:00 to 20:00
Venue: Átrium SNG, the Slovak National Gallery, Rázusovo nábrežie
More about the event: https://bwd.sk/bwd-10-years/
You can buy tickets HERE.
