The white grape variety originates from the border region Italy/Switzerland. Synonyms are Großer Lafnetscha, Kleiner Lafnetscha, Lindauer, Malans, Malanserrebe, Malanstraube, Malansertraube, Weiße Malanstraube and Zürirebe. The variety was already mentioned in a document of the cathedral of Chur in 1321 (according to another source already in 926). The name of the wine of the same name is derived from the evening prayer "Completorium", after which the strong wine used to be drunk by the monks of the cathedral chapter of Chur as a tonic during Lent. The parents of the variety are unknown. Allegedly, the variety was introduced from Italy to Malans in the canton of Graubünden by Benedictine monks of the Pfäfers monastery in St. Gallen. The Italian origin is supported by the fact that there are family ties between Completer and the Italian varieties Marzemino and Pignolo Spano. In Switzerland, Completer is counted in the grape variety group Old Growths. Several DNA analyses have clarified the ancestry of some of these varieties. The direct descendants Bondola, Bondoletta, Hitzkircher and Lafnetscha have arisen from presumably natural crossing.
The medium to late ripening vine produces a high alcohol, acidic wine with aromas of quince and orange blossom. It was almost extinct in the middle of the 20th century until a vine was selected from an old stand and propagated. This vine still stands today on a wall near the "Completerhalde" in Malans. Small areas of cultivation exist in the cantons of Graubünden, Ticino and Zurich. In 2002, a stand was also discovered near Visp in the Valais together with the Lafnetscha variety. In 2016, a total of five hectares of vines were identified (Kym Anderson).
Source: Wine Grapes / J. Robinson, J. Harding, J. Vouillamoz / Penguin Books Ltd. 2012.
Images: Ursula Brühl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI)
