Acclaimed British actress Keira Knightley has disclosed that she and her husband, musician James Righton, have sold their cherished French vineyard, a property steeped in personal history where the couple tied the knot over a decade ago.
A Passion Project in Provence
The Love Actually star, 40, spoke candidly on the Dish podcast about the challenging realities behind running the hands-on organic winery. The property, known as Les Cinq Puits ('the five wells'), was nestled near the slopes of Mont Ventoux in the Rhône Valley. Knightley admitted it was 'difficult' to keep the passion project going, leading to the decision to let it go. The vineyard was previously valued at an estimated £3 million.
'I used to have a place in France and we made our own wine,' Knightley explained, highlighting her husband's deep enthusiasm for viticulture. 'James is super into wine.' The couple, who married in 2013, became fully immersed in the traditions of small-scale, artisanal winemaking at the estate, which took its name from the five natural springs found on the land.
Organic Endeavours and Personal Labour
Their venture was distinctly hands-on and committed to organic principles. 'We made five cuvées of grenache,' Knightley recalled, referring to the separate batches of red wine they produced. 'It was amazing because it was organically made. We did everything by hand and we did the old stamping of the grapes and the whole thing.'
She proudly noted that the limited-quantity wine, produced under the Ventoux label with guidance from local vignerons Luc and Sandrine Guenard, was 'actually drinkable' and 'absolutely amazing'. The wines were sold through specialist outlets, including some in the UK, rather than via large-scale commercial distribution.
However, the actress offered a sobering insight into the effort required. 'It's an extraordinary thing - how they make them and how difficult it is, particularly if you're doing it organically,' she said, confirming, 'We don't have the vineyard now.'
A Special Place in the Heart
The sale closes a deeply personal chapter for the couple. The property was the site of their low-key 2013 wedding, attended by family and close friends like actress Sienna Miller. Knightley wore a Chanel ivory dress and jacket for the ceremony.
Since first meeting at a London dinner party in 2011, Knightley and Righton, 42, have built a family, now raising two daughters: Edie, ten, and Delilah, six. Knightley has recently spoken about prioritising her family life in London, choosing film roles more selectively to avoid long periods away from home.
The couple's artisanal project stands in contrast to larger celebrity wine brands. While stars like Sting, Francis Ford Coppola, and Kylie Minogue have launched major commercial labels, Knightley and Righton's operation remained a small, personal labour of love—one they have now, reluctantly, concluded.
