Some stories begin long before the people who tell them today. In Cardano, just outside Bolzano, the story of Pitzner Winery & Suites is rooted in a farmstead with more than 700 years of history. Today, brothers Markus and Thomas Puff carry that story forward, preserving a deep connection to their land while giving it a contemporary expression.
It is a world shaped by wine, the land and the daily work in the vineyard, but one that has gradually expanded to embrace hospitality and new experiences. At the fourth edition of The Essence of Craft, Thomas Puff brought this story to the stage, sharing a journey shaped by traditions passed down over time, a strong sense of place and new ideas.
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A Story That Begins in the Vineyard
Pitzner was born from a passion for wine and its terroir. At its heart are a few hectares of carefully selected vineyards, where the guiding principle has always been to favour quality and character over quantity.
Each vineyard is tended with care and respect for nature and its rhythms. Yields are deliberately kept low, the grapes are carefully selected and the harvest is carried out by hand.
This is where the identity of Pitzner wines begins to take shape, long before the grapes reach the cellar. Experience and an intimate knowledge of the vineyards guide the work from season to season, with the aim of producing distinctive wines that express the character of the place they come from.
For Markus and Thomas Puff, quality therefore begins with the land: with the decisions made every day, with observation, and with a relationship with the vineyard that can only develop over time.
Wine as Craftsmanship
At Pitzner, talking about wine inevitably means talking about craftsmanship.
Manual work is part of the entire production process, bringing with it attention to detail, authenticity and respect for natural cycles.
Yet a story that stretches back more than seven centuries does not have to remain anchored in the past. Markus and Thomas have brought a contemporary approach to branding, communication and hospitality alongside South Tyrol’s winemaking tradition.
This is perhaps where the idea of craft becomes most compelling: in knowing your craft intimately while continuing to let it evolve. The roots remain the same; what changes is the way they are shared and brought to life for others.
When Wine Becomes an Experience
Over the years, a broader project has grown around Pitzner’s winemaking.
Today, Pitzner Winery & Suites welcomes guests through tastings, events and its Hospitality Suites. Wine remains at the heart of everything, while also becoming a way to discover the place where it is made and meet the people behind it.
Tasting a wine at the winery itself, discovering the vineyards and spending time in the surroundings offers a different perspective on Pitzner. Hospitality becomes part of the story, revealing the project in a more complete and immediate way.
It is from this perspective that Markus and Thomas are also looking to the future. Plans include a fourth suite and a dedicated event venue, with the aim of creating an increasingly complete experience while remaining true to the identity of the winery.
It is a form of growth that builds on what Pitzner already is, without losing sight of the craftsmanship that has shaped its journey.
Caring for the Land
A close relationship with the land also brings a responsibility towards the place where the work begins.
Pitzner pursues an environmentally conscious approach to production, seeking to preserve and enhance its surroundings while reducing the use of resources.
Sustainability therefore becomes part of the way the winery thinks about both wine and its future. For a business whose identity is so closely tied to its terroir, protecting what lies at the origin of everything means creating the conditions for that same story to continue.
This sense of responsibility also resonates with the values of The Essence of Craft, where craftsmanship, authenticity, sustainability, innovation and care are all part of the same approach to making.
A Story That Continues
On the stage of The Essence of Craft 2026, Thomas Puff shared the story of Pitzner Winery & Suites and of a craft that continues to evolve.
There is a farmstead with more than seven centuries of history, a few hectares of vineyards, grapes harvested by hand and knowledge built over time. Around these foundations, new ways of welcoming people, communicating and experiencing wine have emerged.
What connects them all is the same attention given to every step: from the vineyard to the bottle, all the way to the experience of those who arrive at Pitzner.
Because making wine also means telling an authentic story, one bottle at a time.
