All articles by Richard Woodard

Richard Woodard

A trained newspaper journalist with more than 20 years' experience of writing about the wine and spirits categories, Richard has been a regular contributor to Just Drinks since 2006.

What Diageo’s full-year results tell us about interim CEO Nik Jhangiani

At the start of June, cricket franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ended a 17-year wait by winning the IPL trophy…
Dispute on Diageo’s Tequila purity shows growing importance of transparency in spirits

Just over a decade ago, I co-wrote an in-depth report for Just Drinks about the global Tequila market. Well, I…
Don’t be fooled by Crew’s exit: the next Diageo CEO will face the same problems

If things had gone according to plan, by this time two years ago Debra Crew would have been just over…
Why selling Imperial Blue makes sense for Pernod Ricard

Almost a quarter of a century ago, when Diageo and Pernod Ricard divvied up the Seagram drinks empire, most of…
Emerging markets may be enticing but don’t write off gin’s UK prospects

Back in autumn 2018, I was enjoying a tour of Adnams’ Copper House Distillery in Southwold on the UK’s Suffolk…

As Diageo ponders asset sales, what are its options?

I thought I’d heard it somewhere before. As commentators pondered the potential targets of Diageo’s recently announced $500m cost savings…
As Scotch whisky industry cheers UK-India FTA, questions remain

You can hardly blame the Scotch whisky industry for all the kerfuffle surrounding the announcement of the India-UK free trade…
Woes surround Cognac and its ongoing slump requires attention

The Cognac region was at its autumnal best: Indian summer sunshine, the dark green vine leaves contrasting with the bleached…
US looms large but Irish whiskey can build markets elsewhere

There were live music performances, a black-tie dinner for around 100 people, five-star accommodation and chauffeur-driven Mercedes. The 10 April…
European distillers urge EU to change rye-whisky deal with Canada

Distillers across Europe could be barred from labelling their products as ‘rye whisky’ thanks to a recently rediscovered agreement between…