Suntory Holdings, best known for its whiskey and brewery operations, has bought an 80 percent stake in one of China's leading wine importers, ASC Fine Wines Holdings, giving it an important foothold in the growing Chinese wine market. Full Article at Wine Spectator

SIPPED: number crunching Wineries that advertise in Wine Spectator have their wines score better–but only by less than one point. Such is the finding in the lead article in the new issue of the Journal of Wine Economics. Full Article at Dr. Vino's Wine Blog

Wine Spectator states categorically that our reviews are not biased in favor of advertisers. In fact, our advertisers frequently complain about their ratings.And most of the highest-rated wineries have no budget for advertising. It’s a no-win world! Full Article at Wine Economics

Is Santa's sleigh laden with wine in 2009? The answer may be yes, but it's costing somewhat less if you are stocking your stockings with wines under $10. Full Article at The Californian

PALM BEACH, Fla. —William Koch didn't mean to turn the wine world upside-down. The Palm Beach billionaire developed a taste for wine as a young man, and as he accumulated his wealth, he built an extensive wine collection. Full Article at Kansas.com

Senior editor James Molesworth joined Wine Spectator in 1997. He reviews the wines of Argentina, Chile, the Finger Lakes, the Loire, the Rhône and South Africa. Full Article at Wine Spectator