Alexandra Lanoue
Canlis | Seattle, WA
December 2025
Growing up in Massachusetts, Alexandra Lanoue dreamt of playing the violin in the Boston Symphony Orchestra, not deciphering the nuances of wine. When she was 16, she started working at a local restaurant with her mom, an industry veteran whose caring approach to hospitality left an unexpected, but lasting impression on Lanoue. After undergrad at Syracuse University, she enrolled at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee to pursue a master’s degree in music. While there, she joined the team at Eastern Standard Kitchen and Drinks as a way to make some money on the side. At the acclaimed Boston bar, Lanoue eagerly studied the beverage program and immersed herself in cocktail and wine culture while working under Sommelier Colleen Hein Holden and Rising Stars alum Matt Whitney. She quickly fell in love with the intense, hospitality-focused environment. Feeling burnt out from school, she ultimately decided to follow her newfound passion and pursue a career in wine and hospitality.
Lanoue worked at L’Espalier, diving into her first large wine list, followed by Blossom Bar. In 2018, she moved to Seattle. Canlis had just won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Program, and she knew it was the team she wanted to be a part of and learn from. Starting off as a kitchen server, Lanoue worked her way up to lead server before the pandemic. After passing the Canlis sommelier exam, she started as a sommelier when the restaurant reopened to public dining in 2021, and was promoted to Assistant Wine Director soon after. Lanoue took over as Wine Director in 2025.
At the Seattle restaurant, Lanoue brings a warmth and confidence to every table she touches, focusing on the guest experience and staff education more than the bottom line. She is determined to represent the unfamiliar varietals and producers featured on the restaurant's classic-leaning list and create opportunities for her team to visit local vineyards and wineries. Lanoue insists there is fun to be had in a fine-dining format, and she is eager to pass on her passion for food and drink to anyone willing to learn.
