Completer

An old variety from Graubünden (Switzerland) where there are records of it dating back to 1321 at Malans near Coire, Completer takes its name from completorium, the evening service of the Benedictine monks who were then authorised to drink a glass of it in silence. In Haut Valais, Completer gave rise to Lafnetscha, with which it is often confused. A late-ripening variety that enjoys the Alpine Foehn wind, Completer produces rich, strong wines, whose considerable natural acidity gives it great potential for ageing. By the 1960s it had almost disappeared, and today a few rare Completer vineyards persist in Switzerland, mainly in Graubünden, but also in Zurich, and since very recently in Valais.