Completer

Completer is a white grape variety that is grown in Malan in the modern canton of Graubünden in German-speaking Switzerland. Even if the wine industry in Malan is documented since the year 926, the vine variety completer is mentioned by name only since the year 1321. The name of the variety and the wine gained the same name derives from the evening prayer " Completorium or Completa " from after the aromatic, full-bodied wine has been used to drink by the monks of the cathedral chapter Churchill as a tonic. Today in the town of Malan's an alcohol- strong, long-lived dessert wine with aromas (→ aromas in wine) of quince and orange blossom wine is made from it. The white wine should be stored at least 5 years before drinking. Minute quantities are also grown in the cantons of Ticino and Zurich.

The variety was the middle of the 20th century, almost extinct, because they no longer corresponded to the familiar taste of wine drinkers with its very distinctive acid. From old sticks selektionierte one floor, who distinguished himself regularly by earlier maturity and lower acidity. The majority of the planted over the last 20 years completer vines likely descended from him. He is still on the wall at the Malanser heap ( the so-called Completerhalde ). The cultivation of this ancient variety slowly increases again. The area around the Grisons Rhine Valley is only 2.57 hectares (as of 2007, source: Office fédéral de l'agriculture OFAG ). The requirements for the position are high because the variety produces good results only in the warmest locations.

Although known until 2002 only in the Grisons, were obtained from recent studies that the vine grows well in Visp in the Valais. There they were found in a vineyard with the grape variety and the winemaker Lafnetscha called the Completer mistakenly Big Lafnetscha. However, this confusion is not surprising given the variety Lafnetscha was created by a presumably spontaneous cross between completers and Humagne Blanc ( see studies by José Vouillamoz ). The same study showed that the variety has its origins in Italy and France, so it probably came with the Walser to the Grisons.

Origin

Completer belongs to a group of varieties that could be kept within the geographical insularity of the Alpine regions of Italy and the Valais in Switzerland. This group includes the following varieties:

Synonyms

Lafnetsela, Malan, Malanserrebe, Mala Straube, Lindauer, Räuschling edelweiss, Zürirebe and Zürichseer