An interview with Eric Laumann of Cambiata and Ludwig wines
Eric Laumann is the owner and winemaker for Cambiata and Ludwig wines. He has an infinite amount of zeal for this industry and the wine making process in general.
Lindi Kauer: Do you have any winery traditions, crush traditions or events that you are particularly fond of?
Eric Laumann: (Not sure how to answer this question) First and foremost I focus on the processes. Bottom line is I get up in the morning and I make wine. Harvest isn’t necessarily my favorite time, I look at all of wine making as a linear process and I simply try to make wines that fit my wine philosophy.
LK: What are some practices in the vineyard and in the winery which set you apart or which you are particularly proud of?
EL: You shouldn’t be proud, it’s one of the seven deadly sins and it’s self indulgent. The star is the vineyard, the star is the grapes. I chose “Gradus Ad Parnassum,” (translated as “Steps to Parnassus,” the mountain of the muses) as the motto for Cambiata because I believe that wine making is like climbing a mountain in a metaphorical sense; no matter how many vintages you produce there is still something to be learned. If you don’t climb the mountain you don’t get blessed, and if you do not apply proper rigor, you will die of thirst. 
LK: Where would you say you are at in this journey?
EL: I’ll climb as long as I can.
LK: Don’t you think that with some of your vintages you’ve done a really good job? Can’t you be proud of those?
EL: Well, see. . . I’d call it satisfaction, not pride.
LK: What about other wineries or wine makers you admire?
EL: Randall Graham of Bonny Doon is someone I admire because he is constantly reinventing himself. He goes beyond and creates a culture around his wine, delivering the appearance of “magic” in the bottle.
LK: To you – is wine more art or science? What about that do you love?
EL: I get upset when wine makers claim to be artists. The star is the vineyard. When you take wine and put your personality on top of it, to add meaning or add essences, in doing so you mask the terroir. You are supposed to be the Talent Agent, the educator for the wine. For instance, Randall does a great job of presenting the wines in a way that makes people see them a little differently and he adds this extra dimension without compromising the wine’s terroir.
LK: What is your favorite food and wine pairing?
EL: Well, we are located in Monterey County where there is a lot of great, fresh fish and you can just go down to the docks and pick it up hours old. There is also great produce here, like local peppers and fresh cilantro, that I really enjoy cooking with. All of which goes nicely with either the Cambiata Albarino or the Ludwig Riesling.
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August 12th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
I found, drank and enjoyed your Cambiata , Albarino. It is a bit different that the Albarinos that I grew up with in my native Galicia but I and my wife enjoyed every drop of it a foggy night in PG. Thanks for growing here.
Angel and Laura.