Domaine Arretxea was created in the 1990's by Thérèse and Michel Riouspeyrous, and finds its inspiration in the ancient and noble history of the vineyards of Irouleguy. It draws its strength from a family tradition, almost lost, around the grandfather winemaker in love with these lands. Educator and teacher, back in the village of their birth, Thérèse and Michel took over the small family farm in order to start the vine and wine project, a total adventure, earthworks, planting in 1989, development of the cellar for a first vintage in 1993, in Organic Culture from the beginning, then in Biodynamic in 1998. From the creation of the estate was born a family passion that Thérèse and Michel knew how to transmit to their sons Iban and Teo. Iban and Teo have had a solid career as winegrowers. They were able to work with committed winemakers such as Jean Marc Grussaute (Camin Larredya in Jurançon) and Elian da Ros (Côtes du Marmandais) as well as winemaking experiences abroad, notably in Sicily, Chile, and Corsica.

Located in the heart of the Basque Country (on the southern slopes of the Western Pyrenees), the Irouléguy vineyard is situated at an altitude of between 200m and 400m, around Saint Etienne de Baïgorry and Saint Jean Pied de Port, in some fifteen communes. The vineyard is installed in a majestic setting of mountains, valleys, on steep slopes and terraces. It has a double influence, mountain and oceanic, with mild and humid climatic conditions. The southern exposure attracts the maximum sunshine, the Pyrenees mountain range sheltering us from the oceanic and northern winds. It is considered, with its 240 ha, as one of the smallest mountain vineyards in France: 2/3 of the surfaces are implanted on terraces, on a sloping relief, which imposes constraints of danger and arduousness, as well as a lot of manual work... The vineyard of Irouléguy, a very committed vineyard, obtained the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in 1970 and the Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP) in 2013.