Tomasz Witkowski #153
Tomasz Witkowski – In love with Hungarian wines
Tomasz is the wine manager at 2Bratanki/Hungarian wines – one of the leading importers of Hungarian wines in Poland (Cracow). He is managing the specialized wine shop with the portfolio of more than 200 Hungarian index (and only Hungarian!). He is working closely with retailers, restaurants and wine bars. He is also managing the webshop 2bratanki.pl, where the clients from all over Poland can buy Hungarian wines. What exactly does the name 2Bratanki mean? “Pole – Hungarian: Two Brothers”. This well-known and popular slogan, confirming the centuries-long Polish-Hungarian friendship, became the starting point for establishing a company in Cracow, whose main goal for almost 10 years has been the distribution of Hungarian wines in Poland. Why Hungarian wines? It is not only a conscious choice of quality, but also a nod to history. In the heart of Małopolska, there are many proofs of Polish-Hungarian friendship, and the memory that “there is no wine like Hungarian wine” is still alive. “For centuries, our ancestors imported mainly Hungarian wines, valuing sweet specialties from Tokaj the most. So we followed in their footsteps to see that the times of collapse caused by the communist planned economy are gone, and today’s winemaking on the Danube is at a world-class level.” Hungarian wines win awards at the most important international wine competitions, they can be found on the menus of excellent restaurants in many European capitals, and their consumption is also systematically growing in Poland.
A Passionate Ambassador of Hungarian Wines
Tomasz is an absolute winelover and self-proclaimed ambassador of wines from Hungary. He joined the 2Bratanki team almost 10 years ago. Already his first visit to Hungary, to Eger, resulted in an absolute fascination with Hungarian wines, modern and excellent. Over the next years of work, Tomasz got to know other wine regions and, above all, more and more winemakers and people from the wine industry, with whom he cultivates friendship to this day. While working in the 2Bratanki team, Tomasz intensively deepens his knowledge of Hungarian wines. He regularly visits Hungary, searching for new interesting producers. At the invitation of the marketing team from Villany, he twice participated in the unique Franc&Franc conference, dedicated to the Cabernet Franc grape variety, which found its second home in Hungary.
Championing Hungarian Wines Across Borders
It was also a great honour to be invited to the jury of the renowned Winelovers Wine Awards competition in Budapest, where he had the opportunity to meet many distinguished personalities from the wine industry.
Tomasz’s great passion for Hungarian wines can also be expressed in the cross-sectional article “Budapest on Glasses”, devoted to the best wine bars in the Hungarian capital, which was published in one of the most important wine magazines in Poland – Trybuszon.
Tomasz also very actively promotes Hungarian wines at fairs and events in Poland. Every year he participates in the Enoexpo trade fair in Kraków, helping the winemakers participating there, organizing a commented sommelier tasting in cooperation with the Polish-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce. Another event in which Tomasz represents 2Bratanki as a leading importer of Hungarian wines is the Warsaw Wine Experience, a prestigious meeting of the wine industry and the best producers from many wine countries.
Through his work, Tomasz is constantly trying to convince as many wine lovers as possible to modern Hungarian winemaking. This is the goal, and the numerous compliments from delighted customers confirm his conviction that the job is done well.
