Norah Jones ventures into winemaking: the artist with over 50 million records sold dives into the French vineyards

Winning 10 Grammys and selling 53 million records in a lifetime still isn’t enough to feel fulfilled — at least not if your name is Norah Jones. The American artist has now taken up winemaking, just like many of her peers: from Sting to Andrea Bocelli, and from John Legend to Italians such as Gianna Nannini, Jovanotti, Peppe Vessicchio, and Johnson Righeira. Many have fallen in love with the nectar of the gods, but Norah Jones’ story comes with a particular twist.

How Norah Jones’ wine came to life

The wine range is called This Life, named after one of her songs from the 2020 album Pick Me Up Off the Floor, and it launches with two cuvées: a 2024 rosé from the south of France, priced at $17, and a brut sparkling Chardonnay from the Limoux appellation in Languedoc, priced at $25.

As with many great ventures, this one began by chance. According to winespectator.com, it all started last summer when a mutual friend introduced Norah Jones to entrepreneur Robert Wessman, owner of a historic French estate, Maison Wessman. After sending her a bottle of rosé blended from his best cuvées, Wessman asked Jones to become a partner. The American artist didn’t hesitate to show her enthusiasm, and now they produce wine together. Speaking to winespectator.com, Jones said: “I let myself be guided by the flavours I preferred in the various samples, and then we combined them,” referring to the blending of the cuvées. She’s no wine expert, but as she herself shared: “When I was 25, my managers would take me out to dinner and order wines I didn’t understand at all, but I developed a taste for good wine.” And sometimes, passion alone is enough to launch a great project.

Wine and music

More and more often, music and wine go hand in hand for numerous reasons. In this case too, Norah Jones’ partnership with Wessman wasn’t entirely random. As Wessman told winespectator.com: “Music is an important part of Maison Wessman — we have a grand piano in the château, and we often end up playing and singing late into the night.”

Jones and Wessman’s wines will feature on her Visions tour starting in July: a few bottles of This Life will be circulating among the crew — just for celebratory toasts after each show. Then, at the end of the tour, Jones will join her friend and business partner Wessman to select the blends for the new vintages.