Blending wine and worship: Standing tall in His presence

On a 400-acre vineyard east of Paso Robles, nestled in California's Central Coast, members of the Steinbeck family are carrying forward a thriving business enterprise. Concordia-Chicago grads Bryan Widstrand BA '12 and Stacy (Newkirk) Widstrand BA '10 are following in the footsteps of preceding generations as they combine the traditional craft of viticulture and winemaking with a living, vibrant Christian faith.

The Steinbeck family's 140-year-old cattle and barley farm became an estate vineyard in the 1980s, growing fruit that was purchased by a nearby winery. A new phase was inaugurated with the launch of the family wine label in 2006. Stacy, a descendant of the multi-generational Steinbeck family agricultural dynasty, returned to the family business in 2018-several years after graduating from Concordia-Chicago-when she and her husband Bryan moved to Paso Robles. Now they, too, are contributing to the Steinbeck family business that has expanded to include processing facilities and a retail tasting room.

Bryan Widstrand earned a Bachelor of Arts in theology with an English minor and pre-seminary focus at Concordia-Chicago. The Concordia legacy runs deep in his family: his grandfather graduated from Concordia-Chicago's precursor, Concordia Teachers College, in 1949. His mother, aunt, and older and younger sisters are also CUC grads.

Bryan and Stacy Widstrand

Bryan's family legacy connection to Concordia-Chicago developed into a concrete, personal motivation to enroll after he heard Kapelle, the University's elite chamber choir, on a fall tour performance at his home church, Trinity Lutheran, in Lansing, IL. "[Professor of music] Dr. Charles Brown and I go way back," Bryan reflects. "It was a dream of mine to sing with him in the Kapelle choir, which I first heard when I was 12 years old."

Stacy, too, decided to attend Concordia-Chicago after hearing-as a sixth grader-a tour performance at her family's local church by the University's Wind Symphony under the direction of Dr. Richard Fischer. Once at CUC, Stacy studied parish music as a path to fulfill her passion for leading people in worship. Brought together by faith and music, Stacy and her future spouse Bryan met, fittingly enough, while singing in Kapelle.

The Widstrands' life journey after graduation was far from what they had expected or envisioned for themselves. They initially moved to Stacy's hometown of Paso Robles, where Bryan worked as a professional singer, began a job at a wine tasting room in nearby Templeton and obtained an entry-level sommelier certificate. In 2015, the couple was called to the other side of the globe in Tasmania, Australia, where Bryan took advantage of an opportunity with Pipers Brook Vineyard. In a few short months, he progressed from cellar assistant to senior winemaker, setting the direction for his longer journey in that field. "I wasn't equipped to do that job, but I became equipped," Bryan remembers-a recurring experience that has propelled him through unfamiliar territory.

To read about how the Widstrands embrace their roles as both winemakers and worship co-directors at Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Paso Robles, CA, read the full story in the latest Forester. For even more inspiring words, watch Bryan's remarks from CUC's 2023 Spring Commencement ceremony.

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