Pierre Pringuet (R), Chief Executive Officer of French drinks maker Pernod Ricard, and Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer Alexandre Ricard attend a press conference to announce the company's 2013-2014 annual results in Paris, August 28, 2014. French spirits maker Pernod Ricard has forecast a recovery in sales in its second-biggest market China, dogged for years by a clampdown on the purchase of expensive gifts such as whisky and cognac, helping send its shares to a 10-month high. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS) 

Pierre Pringuet (R), Chief Executive Officer of French drinks maker Pernod Ricard, and Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer Alexandre Ricard attend a press conference to announce the company's 2013-2014 annual results in Paris, August 28, 2014. French spirits maker Pernod Ricard has forecast a recovery in sales in its second-biggest market China, dogged for years by a clampdown on the purchase of expensive gifts such as whisky and cognac, helping send its shares to a 10-month high. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS) 

Pierre Pringuet (R), Chief Executive Officer of French drinks maker Pernod Ricard, and Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer Alexandre Ricard attend a press conference to announce the company's 2013-2014 annual results in Paris, August 28, 2014. French spirits maker Pernod Ricard has forecast a recovery in sales in its second-biggest market China, dogged for years by a clampdown on the purchase of expensive gifts such as whisky and cognac, helping send its shares to a 10-month high. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS) 

(L-R) Alexandre Ricard, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of French drinks maker Pernod Ricard, Pierre Pringuet, Pernod Ricard Chief Executive Officer, and Gilles Bogaert, Pernod Ricard Chief Financial Officer, pose before the presentation of the group's 2013/14 half-year sales and results in Paris February 13, 2014. French drinks group Pernod Ricard cut its annual profit growth goal on Thursday, saying demand for its Martell cognac and Ballantine's whisky in China, its second-largest market, would stay sluggish through end-June. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS) 

Pierre Pringuet, Chief Executive Officer of French drinks maker Pernod Ricard, poses before the presentation of the group's 2013/14 half-year sales and results in Paris February 13, 2014. French drinks group Pernod Ricard cut its annual profit growth goal on Thursday, saying demand for its Martell cognac and Ballantine's whisky in China, its second-largest market, would stay sluggish through end-June. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS) 

Pierre Pringuet (L), Chief Executive Officer of French drinks maker Pernod Ricard, and Alexandre Ricard, Pernod Ricard Deputy Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer, pose before the presentation of the group's 2013/14 half-year sales and results in Paris February 13, 2014. French drinks group Pernod Ricard cut its annual profit growth goal on Thursday, saying demand for its Martell cognac and Ballantine's whisky in China, its second-largest market, would stay sluggish through end-June. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS) 

Pierre Pringuet, Chief Executive Officer of French drinks maker Pernod Ricard, poses before the presentation of the group's 2013/14 half-year sales and results in Paris February 13, 2014. French drinks group Pernod Ricard cut its annual profit growth goal on Thursday, saying demand for its Martell cognac and Ballantine's whisky in China, its second-largest market, would stay sluggish through end-June. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS) 

Pernod Ricard Chief Executive Officer Pierre Pringuet speaks during an interview with Reuters at the company's headquarters in Paris November 6, 2012. Pernod Ricard plans to tap Africa's thirst for whisky, vodka and cognac at a time when China is slowing and bets the continent will become a key growth area for the French spirits group within 10 years. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS HEADSHOT) 

Pernod Ricard Chief Executive Officer Pierre Pringuet speaks during an interview with Reuters at the company's headquarters in Paris November 6, 2012. Pernod Ricard plans to tap Africa's thirst for whisky, vodka and cognac at a time when China is slowing and bets the continent will become a key growth area for the French spirits group within 10 years. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS) 

Pernod Ricard Chief Executive Officer Pierre Pringuet speaks during an interview with Reuters at the company's headquarters in Paris November 6, 2012. Pernod Ricard plans to tap Africa's thirst for whisky, vodka and cognac at a time when China is slowing and bets the continent will become a key growth area for the French spirits group within 10 years. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS) 

Pernod Ricard Chief Executive Officer Pierre Pringuet speaks during an interview with Reuters at the company's headquarters in Paris November 6, 2012. Pernod Ricard plans to tap Africa's thirst for whisky, vodka and cognac at a time when China is slowing and bets the continent will become a key growth area for the French spirits group within 10 years. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS) 

Pernod Ricard Chief Executive Officer Pierre Pringuet attends an interview with Reuters at the company's headquarters in Paris November 6, 2012. Pernod Ricard plans to tap Africa's thirst for whisky, vodka and cognac at a time when China is slowing and bets the continent will become a key growth area for the French spirits group within 10 years. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS HEADSHOT) 

Pernod Ricard Chief Executive Officer Pierre Pringuet attends an interview with Reuters at the company's headquarters in Paris November 6, 2012. Pernod Ricard plans to tap Africa's thirst for whisky, vodka and cognac at a time when China is slowing and bets the continent will become a key growth area for the French spirits group within 10 years. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS) 

Pierre Pringuet, Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard, arrives for the company's 2008 annual results presentation in Paris, near Paris, February 13, 2009. Pernod Ricard stuck to its goal of boosting recurring net profit to over 1 billion euros ($1.28 billion) in fiscal 2008/09 as recession-hit consumers continue to spend money on wine and spirits. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol (FRANCE) 

Pierre Pringuet, Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard, poses before the company's 2008 annual results presentation in Paris, near Paris, February 13, 2009. Pernod Ricard stuck to its goal of boosting recurring net profit to over 1 billion euros ($1.28 billion) in fiscal 2008/09 as recession-hit consumers continue to spend money on wine and spirits. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol (FRANCE) 

Pierre Pringuet, Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard, poses before the company's 2008 annual results presentation in Paris, near Paris, February 13, 2009. Pernod Ricard stuck to its goal of boosting recurring net profit to over 1 billion euros ($1.28 billion) in fiscal 2008/09 as recession-hit consumers continue to spend money on wine and spirits. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol (FRANCE) 

Pierre Pringuet, Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard, poses before the company's 2008 annual results presentation in Paris, near Paris, February 13, 2009. Pernod Ricard stuck to its goal of boosting recurring net profit to over 1 billion euros ($1.28 billion) in fiscal 2008/09 as recession-hit consumers continue to spend money on wine and spirits. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol (FRANCE) 

Pierre Pringuet, Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard, poses before the company's 2008 annual results presentation in Paris, near Paris, February 13, 2009. Pernod Ricard stuck to its goal of boosting recurring net profit to over 1 billion euros ($1.28 billion) in fiscal 2008/09 as recession-hit consumers continue to spend money on wine and spirits. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol (FRANCE) 

Pierre Pringuet, Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard, poses before the company's 2008 annual results presentation in Paris, near Paris, February 13, 2009. Pernod Ricard stuck to its goal of boosting recurring net profit to over 1 billion euros ($1.28 billion) in fiscal 2008/09 as recession-hit consumers continue to spend money on wine and spirits. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol (FRANCE) 

Pernod Ricard Managing Director Pierre Pringuet holds a book about Absolut vodka during a news conference in Stockholm March 31, 2008. France's Pernod Ricard won a hotly contested auction on Monday to buy the maker of Sweden's Absolut vodka for 5.63 billion euro ($8.87 billion). REUTERS/Bob Strong (SWEDEN)