Lizzy Trevor became wine director at Tilman’s on the Downtown Mall a year ago, coming to the position by sheer force of will. The oenophile, who recently aced the Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s level 2 examination, is completely self-taught and self-driven. She started working at Tilman’s two years ago as a team member and climbed into the wine director’s chair with no previous professional experience.
Trevor says her focus is on making esoteric wine varieties approachable to casual consumers. Courtenay Tyler, the restaurant’s co-owner, who also operates Tonic on Market Street, says she couldn’t be happier with Trevor’s programming, which involves setting the eatery’s wine menu, selecting wines for its wine club, organizing events, and training staff.
Prior to turning her hobby into a career, Trevor had been an esthetician. Now, she only has eyes for the vine and is looking ahead to taking the WSET level 3 and 4 tests. “I just love geeking out on wine,” she says.