Completer tasting - Switzerland's rarest white grape

Completer is Switzerland's rarest white grape, grown almost exclusively in Graubünden. The variety almost went extinct but dedicated producers have revived it. Its late-ripening nature produces rich, honeyed wines with exceptional aging potential.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Find the Grape That Almost Vanished - Only 5.59 Hectares Left Wine · Free

   Completer was first mentioned in writing on October 6, 1321 - exactly 703 YEARS ago. By 2018, only 4 hectares existed in all of Switzerland. Today: 5.59 hectares total. Compare that to 3,875 hectares of Pinot Noir. You're looking at one of Europe's rarest indigenous grapes. From Jenins main square, walk uphill toward Neu-Aspermont Castle ruins where the Completer vines grow on the steepest terraced sections with stone walls (monks built those 700 years ago). If visiting September-November, look for clusters still on vines when all other whites are harvested.

   Backup: If vineyard access is restricted, go to the Greisinger Museum (yes, the Hobbit house with Tolkien collection). The path to the museum passes Completer vineyards. Take the photo at the Bag End door with vines in background. Inside, ask staff: "Which winery here grows Completer?" They're locals and will tell you.

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2. 2 Taste the Wine Dr. José Vouillamoz Called "Answer to Climate Change" Wine · Price: moderate

   In 2021, Switzerland's top vine geneticist José Vouillamoz organized Completer's 700th anniversary tasting at Schloss Reichenau. He tasted 25 Completers from 5 cantons and concluded: Completer is a "climate emergency superstar" because it accumulates sugar WITHOUT losing acidity. Email ahead to book Jan Luzi's Completer tasting at Sprecher von Bernegg winery (Kreuzgasse 6, Jenins, info@sprechervonbernegg.ch, CHF 25-40). When you taste it, notice the honey and apricot nose, ELECTRIC acidity despite full body, and slight residual sweetness. Ask: "How does Completer handle the Föhn winds?"

   Backup: If Sprecher von Bernegg is booked, walk 300m to Thomas Studach's garage winery in Malans (he has 1.5 hectares of Completer - the most in Graubünden). Ring the bell. If he's there, he'll pour you Completer and explain why it almost went extinct (farmers hated the millerandage/uneven berry development).

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3. 3 Discover the Castle Where Completer Was Born History · Free · Optional

   Neu-Aspermont Castle, built in 1235 and occupied until the 17th century, sits on the hillside where Pfäfers monastery Benedictine monks planted the first Completer vines between 1321-1347. From this spur above Jenins village, you can see the ENTIRE 5.59 hectares of Completer vineyards: 1.5 ha in Jenins (below the castle), 3.41 ha in Malans (to the south), 0.57 ha in Fläsch (north), 0.11 ha in Chur (distant east). Climb to the castle ruins (free access year-round) and stand by the seven-story tower remnants. The terraced vineyards stretching below = Completer's last stand.

   Backup: If weather is bad, visit Jenins village archives (Gemeindeverwaltung, Dorfstrasse 11, weekdays 8-11am). Request to see the 1321 parchment photocopy mentioning "vinea vini completorii" (Completer vineyard). It's the oldest written evidence of this grape on Earth.

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4. 4 Find the Hobbit House in a Wine Village (Seriously) Adventure · Price: moderate · Optional

   This is the world's LARGEST Tolkien collection (over 600 original paintings, every UK first edition of Lord of the Rings 1954-2025) housed in a full-scale Hobbit smial modeled on Bilbo Baggins' Bag End. The juxtaposition is surreal: you walk through 14th-century Completer vineyards to enter Middle-earth at the Greisinger Museum (Oberdorfweg 16, Jenins). Book entry (CHF 18-25, greisinger.museum) and arrive via the vineyard path. Before entering the Hobbit door, turn around - THAT'S your photo: Bag End door + ancient vines + medieval castle. Ask the guide: "Why build this in a wine village?" The answer reveals Swiss wine culture.

   Backup: If museum is closed, walk the Malans-Jenins Wine Route (10 km loop, free). It passes the museum exterior, Completer vineyards, and multiple Torkels (wine cellars). The trail has interpretive signs explaining Completer's 700-year history. Download the Heidiland app for GPS guidance.

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Insider tips

• Completer is extremely rare - ask specifically for it at any tasting

• The grape's name comes from the monastery prayers it was served with

• Aged Completer develops remarkable honeyed, nutty complexity