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.

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…
Reality bites as Diageo exits Distill Ventures

In the mid-2010s, Douglas Murray, a 50-year veteran of running Diageo’s distillation processes in Scotland, found himself in the remote…

Stauning cuts jobs, output after Diageo’s Distill Ventures exit

Danish whisky distillery Stauning has axed about 25% of its workforce and cut production by 50% after Diageo announced that…
Risks abound as spirits industry wrestles with erratic US tariff policy

Visit the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) website at the moment and you’re greeted with quite the patriotic gesture…
Why the Scotch whisky industry has reasons to be cheerful

Judging by the mood music emanating from the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) lately, the first rays of spring sunshine will…
It may be wiser for Pernod Ricard to hang on to Mumm Champagne

As Valentine’s Day beckons, it seems that Pernod Ricard’s on-off love affair with Champagne has become a little toxic, with…
Park the Guinness debate: getting back to basics will cheer Diageo shareholders

Speculative M&A stories are often fun both to write and to read, with the added bonus that, most of the…