Name
Nicole Brown
Company/Organization
Moersch Hospitality Group
What Does Your Company/Organization Do?
For decades, Moersch Hospitality Group has been creating wines, craft beers, and craft spirits. MHG also offers up several wineries and restaurants to become a premier destination in southwest Michigan. Their brands are Round Barn, Tabor Hill and Free Run Cellars.
Age
37
Accomplishments
• Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Level 1 and 2 completed this year, making me a Level 2 sommelier, passing with distinction (98%)
• Gallery exhibition at the Box Factory
• Serving on the Krasl Board of Directors
What else do you hope to accomplish by the age of 40?
I hope to complete my WSET Level 3 and put that knowledge to use to help bolster and promote our southwest Michigan wine region.
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration from Western Michigan University
Residence
St Joseph, MI
Where were you born?
Plymouth, MI
What was your first job?
Working for my father’s custom cabinetry business
Best advice you ever got?
Don’t buy the most expensive house on the block, and don’t be the smartest person in the room.
Who inspires you most?
My grandmother was a badass who lived an amazing life. She was incredibly well-traveled, confident and savvy in so many things. I want to go through life and carry myself the way she did.
That one thing about you we’d be most surprised to learn.
I know how to do the flying trapeze.
What do you love to do in your downtime?
I like to paint in watercolors and develop my portfolio of art-work exploring human and female conditions as it pertains to modern social constructs.
I also enjoy studying wine, and doing blind tastings with my study group.
Travel when I can!
What book are you reading now?
The Widow Clicquot, which is the business biography of the young widow who built the champagne empire of Veuve Clicquot
Volunteer activity you love the most.
I loved working as a board member at the Krasl Art Fair this year. Being able to speak to so many of the artists is enlightening and inspiring.
What motivates you to give back to your community?
I’ve lived in St. Joe since 2008, and I absolutely fell in love with the area. I want to be a part of what makes this community great.
What Superpower would you most love to have? (for example, the ability to fly or to be invisible, or incredible strength, etc)
To be able to command Z (undo) in real life!
What would you like to leave behind as your legacy once you are gone?
I want to leave behind art that people are able to connect with. Whether that be inspiration, consolation or cathartic moments, I believe art brings a sense of belonging.
What does the honor of being named to the 40 Under 40 most mean to you?
This honor makes me feel like I am on the right path towards my purpose, that I’ve surrounded myself with good people, and I am finally hitting my stride. I am so incredibly honored by being named to the 40 under 40 and I am eternally grateful for the people who help me in my life.
