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The Origins

Everything starts in Zugliano, in a small village in the Veneto foothills with a vocation for mainly sheep farming located in the province of Vicenza. 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.

Le Origini
La Storia

History...

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. At the end of the 60s with the arrival of Fausto Zanin, Rino’s son, the family company gradually began an industrialization process modernizing the production facilities, but always keeping their customary high-quality standard. These strategic choices paid off in the market and above all in foreign ones, to the point that in the late 90s the products were spreading in 38 countries. It was the beginning of the expansion of the company that still carries out its internationalization today, marking the company as leader of the made in Italy excellence. 

The Beginning...

With his small hand-made copper alembic, after wearing his overcoat, Bortolo turned into a Master Distiller. It was cold in the basement but a little help from the warmth of the alembic and a little from the several tastes could warm him. He was very adamant that for his grappa he only wanted the best part, making his alchemical art increasingly popular with users, so that in 1895 he wanted to formalize it.

This is not poetry but the story of a passion in a belief that still continues….

L'inizio
FRONTE WB.jpg

The handover

In the 40s Rino Zanin succeeded his father Bortolo. The White Horse- Cavallina Bianca- was created from his two passions, grappa and horses: Olga was his snow-colored mare. The sale expanded throughout the province of Vicenza until the arrival of his son Fausto who expanded the company across the border to 38 countries in the 1970s, and industrialized the production processes. At the end of the 90s the need to increase the production space arised and in 2003 the acquisition of the ex-Marini spinning-mill took place.

Il Passaggio

Today...

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Now in its fourth generation, Zanin produces with the highest technological and quality standards such as ISO / IFS / BRC, maintaining the historical link with tradition and with the teachings of its predecessors. Four generations linked by a single passion held in each drop labeled Zanin 1895. The proof of Zanin’s distillates and liqueurs is the large number of awards (over 300) won over the years, nationally and internationally.

The development and business growth over the last few years required the support of greater production spaces because the historical establishment of Via Roma could no longer provide, therefore  in 2014, the company moved its headquarters to Via Cinquevie in a factory, and a new path began. Today Zanin, in addition to having activated a sector dedicated to research and development at 360 degrees, is also very careful to the environmental impact and CO2 emissions and in this regard Zanin prefers packaging materials obtained from recycled products. Its new plant is equipped with a photovoltaic plant for the production of energy from renewable sources that generates more electricity than that which is consumed annually by the company.

Current and with a look to the future, the company development continues towards the markets and within the spirit of the "Land of Venice". Today Zanin exports its products to 55 countries scattered around the world consolidated as a Made in Italy excellency.

From history and contemporaneity we take the cues for our future TO BE CONTINUED….

Oggi
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Headquarter...

Spirit and bricks unify into a single essence in the new headquarters of Zanin 1895: the former Marini spinning mill, built in the far 1860, in via Cinquevie in Zugliano in the province of Vicenza. A building of ​​30,000 square meters, that patiently has  been restored to its old splendor, highlighting and embellishing the industrial architecture of the mid-1800s. The purity of the perfume of the distillates revolves within refined architecture, narrating the story of a company over a century long, succeeded by four successive generations. Visiting the plant one begins at a museum, where the first copper alembic stills, were originally kept by the founder Bortolo. They all lay in the basement , with  the pomace assayer invented by the "nonno Rino" ( grandpa Rino) and many other more or less ancient instruments, even some unique pieces are shown, they all  belonged to the family and were used over the years to distill and work grappas and liqueurs. Following the tour of the factory in 4,000 square meters underground, barrels, vats and barriques appear as if by magic, making the products age, or the distillates, preserved inside them, in the aging warehouse.  Proceeding the tour comes across a grand event room all made of bricks with beautiful vaulted ceilings, then proceeding into the conference room that is designed to resemble the inside of a barrel. While moving on the journey to reach the production area, hanging on the wall here and there certificates, medals and over 300 awards are visible. Upon arrival into the  productive part,  immediately affects the tidiness and extreme cleanliness, combined with a massive dose of high technology accompany the various production processes. The 18 meters high logistics area can astonish every visitor.

La Sede
La Cassaforte

The safe...

Already while descending the stairs that lead to 10 meters below the ground, you can feel the intoxicating scent that twirls, also called “the spirit of the angels”, which alcoholic evaporation gives them. Once reached the aging distillates warehouse, the safe can only be seen from above. Access is denied. It's all sealed, only in presence of Custom Agency officials  the access is authorized. These extreme measures are implemented to preserve consumers from fraud, only officials can attest the actual aging of the products. What the eye struggles to see inside, is a space of 4,000 square meters, where all sorts of distillates lie. A lot of different wooden containers hold on average 80 degrees of alcohol, all different in capacity: Barrique, Botti and Tini. A very intense and sincere scent resembling the earth and its fruits, is  enclosed in every single drop of these noble spirits that stay here, for up to 40 years or over, evoking a craft that meets the true spirit of passion.

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