Lizette Tolken attended a high school reunion in 2005 where Cape Wine Master Tom Blok presented a tasting and was so intrigued by his passion and knowledge that she immediately enrolled for the Preliminary course at the Cape Wine Academy (CWA).
Lizette is an admitted attorney, notary and conveyancer of the High Court of South Africa and currently the human resources manager at Boekenhoutskloof Winery. She also practised as a debt counselor and acts as Commissioner of the Small Claims Court in Stellenbosch. She also lectures and marks assignments for the CWA. She served for eight years as Educom Representative on the Institute of Cape Wine Masters (ICWM) Exco.
Cabernet Franc is the (grape) love of her life and she is a self-proclaimed brandy ambassador for South Africa.
Traveling being one of her favourite hobbies, she has visited most of the winelands of the world, with Portugal being her favourite destination. Lizette was part of an informal Stellenbosch-based tasting group for two years with fellow graduates Raymond and Dave and is proud to have been involved with lecturing students in Langa as part of the Government’s Sommelier Level 1 project.
She graduated as a Cape Wine Master in 2012. Her dissertation topic was "Cabernet Franc in South Africa and across the Globe".
In 2024, Lizette became the fifth winner of the Dave Hughes Trophy, which is awarded annually to a CWM who has made a notable contribution to the ICWM, wine education, or the wine industry in general.