Ellen Flora, Senior Wine Ambassador

Moving to Sonoma in the early '70s, Ellen was struck by the beauty and abundance of Northern California. Beginning a country life, she immersed herself in gardening, learning about the local fish, game and herbs, and becoming a chef specializing in California cuisine. It was in this pursuit that she discovered the fun and power of pairing wine with food. "A very good friend explained that my dinner would be much more interesting and the food, improved if I would also introduce interesting wines as a partner. This opened up a whole new way of being for me."

Working for the past 15 years in the Napa Valley, Ellen is passionate about sharing the lifestyle of wine, food and the arts. At Chandon, she’s found her golden opportunity to bring all her talents together to teach others about the essence of the wine, food and art.  She considers working with both sparkling and still wines and the etoile restaurant a deep pleasure and loves witnessing the true sense of collaboration of many talented people who seem drawn to such a winery.