A Legacy in Every Bottle: The Alves Family Story

At Musto Wine Grape Company, we love sharing the stories behind the winemakers who turn grapes into lasting family traditions. One of those stories belongs to Justin Timpano and his father-in-law Al Alves, whose winemaking roots trace back more than 60 years to the small Portuguese village of Carvalheiro. What began with Al’s grandfather crushing grapes by hand in a stone bowl has grown into a multi-generational passion carried from Portugal to Connecticut.

Justin, tell us the story of your wife’s (Melissa’s) family and how they first got into winemaking:

My wife’s father Al and Uncle Angelo are from a small village in Portugal called Carvalheiro. It’s about an hour and a half’s drive northeast of Lisbon. It’s a beautiful area where they still own the house they grew up in, acres of farmland and hundreds of cork trees. Wine making has been a part of the Alves family for over 60 years.  It started with Al and Angelo’s grandfather making wine by crushing grapes in a stone bowl by hand. Al and Angelo, along with their brother Nelson carried the tradition to states and typically made a red field blend they would bottle or keg and drink during Sporting (soccer) games and family parties.  I remember the first time I saw the process at Melissa’s grandmothers house in Hartford, big blue drums, manual crusher and a homemade wood punch down.  Their wine was so good and the process looked like so much fun so I asked to join them about 12 years ago and have been making wine ever since.  I now make the family wine and am really proud to carry on their tradition. 

Al, Angelo and I this summer at the local store in Carvalheiro having a 50 cent glass of wine

Al walking next to the family cork trees

How did you and the family both start making wine together?

I had been making wine for 5 or 6 years when Mike (my brother in law) and I went to Jonathan Edwards Winery one afternoon with our family.  Mike at that point didn’t have a lot of exposure to red wine.  After a few glasses of their 2017 red zinfandel, Mike was interested in joining and I wanted to do what Al, Angelo and Nelson did and make wine making a family tradition.  Mike has fallen in love with the process and now hosts a podcast called Vino Volley, a show about soccer and wine.  Neither of us are Portuguese but we both love Portugal and our wine is inspired by reds we have tasted from vacations and the Portuguese style field blends made by the family for generations.

How have you’ve gotten more family and friends involved over time?

I feel like every home wine maker who has friends and family that drinks and enjoys their wine somehow ends up growing their group.  At one point, we had 8 or 9 guys making wine at my house until we all had kids and decided to break up the band. My good friends Kevin Lawton and Milton Quaresma now have their own setups at their houses and continue to make great wine.  Kevin makes high end Cabs and Milton is on to Italian reds.  We all still regularly get together and bring our favorite wines to share.  I think and hope wine will keep us connected as our kids grow.  This year we are expanding our team again with my Dad, Jim, making a rosé and cousins Danny and Bruno joining in on our red blend.

Below are pictures of Kevin and his family making thier high end cabernet at home!

For Justin and Al, winemaking is more than a hobby—it’s a thread that connects generations, cultures, and memories. From a small stone bowl in Portugal to a family cellar in Connecticut, every crush, every bottle, and every shared glass is a tribute to the love, laughter, and legacy that started it all. It’s stories like theirs that remind us why we do what we do at Musto Wine Grape Company—because behind every great wine is a family, a friendship, and a tradition worth preserving.

🍷 Want to start your own winemaking story?
Musto Wine Grape Company is here to help you every step of the way, from grapes and juices to equipment, education, and support. Visit www.juicegrape.com or stop by to get started.