It all began in Zugliano, a small village in the Pedemontana Veneta, a foothill bucolic area located in the Vicenza province. A story of a man that went from innkeeper to distiller until 1895, the year that saw the Grappa Cavallina Bianca moving out from the basement in all its acclaimed glory. The name can be translated by “White Horse”, named after his best ride. The founder, Bortolo Zanin, was seeking a different name than “Spirito Bianco” –White Spirit – which he was serving his guests at the tavern. From a necessity to a virtue: is the idea behind the recovery of the pomace of its own vineyard. The fellow diners had more than the wine to quench their thirst and inebriate with at his inn.
1895 is seen as the year of the turning point during which Bortolo Zanin decided to legitimate the distillation. The inn was doing just fine but the demand for his grappa was increasing more and more, so with the support of his wife and relatives he managed to conduct both activities for many years, to the point when the passion for distillation prevailed above the innkeeper job. In the 1940s, when his son Rino Zanin decided to collaborate with his father, they took the decision to close the inn to be able to dedicate themselves to the distillation and production of liqueurs. Growing product demands raised the necessity of a larger space, as the area previously dedicated to the inn was sufficient for their production needs. Later Rino decided to carry on with the expansion of the distillery and the aging process, leading the Cavallina Bianca brand to greater fame.
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