Ellen Landis, CSW

Ellen is a Certified Sommelier, wine writer, and frequent judge at prominent regional, national, and international wine competitions. She contributes regularly to the Great Northwest Wine magazine, and for several years has researched and contributed to Slow Wine Guide USA, a guide to wines from producers in California, New York, Oregon and Washington that use greener farming practices.

She serves as a judge at wine competitions including:

• International Women's Wine Competition

• Grand Harvest Awards Challenge

• Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge

• Finger Lakes International Wine Competition

• California State Fair Wine Competition

• International East Meets West Wine Challenge

• Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition

• San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

• Cascadia Wine Competition

• Amador County Wine Competition

• Savor Northwest Wine Competition

• Wine Press Northwest Platinum Judging

• Sonoma Harvest Fair Wine Competition

• Affairs of the Vine

She hosts and participates in numerous blind tastings and various wine events as a moderator, speaker, and panelist.

For several years, Ellen served as Sommelier at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay. She was Wine Director and Sommelier for 20 years at Landis Shores Oceanfront Inn on Miramar Beach, which she built and co-owned with her husband Ken Landis, who is himself a frequent wine judge, and former chef at Landis Shores. Landis Shores was named one of the top 15 Inns for Wine Connoisseurs in North America and achieved great acclaim and numerous awards. They sold the inn in 2015 to allow Ellen to focus more time on the world of wine. She and Ken still think about the many wonderful and loyal guests who stayed with us over the years, many of whom became friends.

She has visited wine regions throughout the world including France (Bordeaux, Champagne, Burgundy, Rhone), Italy (Tuscany), Spain (Priorat, Tenerife), Portugal, South America (Chile, Argentina, Uruguay), Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and of course, North America (California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Michigan, New York, Virginia, Ohio, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Hawaii and Canada).

Ellen’s wine education includes UC Davis courses, the Society of Wine Educators Certified Specialist of Wine certification, and the Court of Master Sommeliers Certified Sommelier program.