One side of the family made wine since the 1600s, the other since 1725; Irene Badala was two years old on her first visit to the family vineyard in Contrada Santo Spirito. When the vineyard became more than the family could handle and there was talk of selling, Irene refused; she and her husband Matteo initially sold the grapes. Within a few years they were releasing small batches of single-vineyard Carricante and Nerello from Contrada Santo Spirito.