The 1988 acquisition of Irish Distillers Ltd (IDL) by Pernod Ricard is the great drinks industry acquisition that almost never happened. As the story goes, the French company – then a fraction of the size of today’s colossus – originally only wanted a small slice of the Irish whiskey pie.
Is premiumisation where the growth lies for wine?
Is premiumisation the silver bullet wine needs for growth, or are too many pinning their hopes on the trend?
Jessica Broadbent September 29 2025


