In a sign of the wine times, one of the world’s most authoritative wine publications, Decanter, said it plans to launch a Chinese version of its website.

The move comes after another top wine publication, described as the wine bible for the French, La Revue du Vin de France, launched a Chinese version of its magazine last year.

Mainland luxury Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly open to shopping for, and finding information about, luxury brands online with news portals.

Weibo is one of the most popular sources for information, according to the results of a survey released November 28 by PR group Ruder Finn Asia.

The survey was conducted among 1057 Mainland Chinese luxury shoppers by Ruder Finn Asia as part of its China Luxury Forecast.

Following Balenciaga and Dolce & Gabbana, Jean Paul Gaultier is the third major fashion brand to present a new website this week.

JeanPaulGaultier.com unites all of the French designer’s creative actvities under one global roof, including ready-to-wear, haute couture, and perfumes.

The new online destination is divided into three sectors: LIVE! integrates social media sites Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, updates from bloggers, videos and photos from fashion shows as well as news surrounding the brand, while a digital showroom and an e-shop let you browse and buy all collections.

Dolce & Gabbana launched its e-commerce site today – together with e-tailer Yoox – with content in seven languages.

The site will display magazine-style catalog through which shoppers can “shop the look.” There are also links to videos of its runway shows and advertising campaigns.

DolceGabbana.com will sell all of the label’s collections, and in order to attract customers quickly, you won’t pay any shipping fees for the first three months.

You don’t have to tell the people at Prada how valuable the Chinese market for luxury goods has become — the Italian fashion icon is so keen to set up a base out East that it is about to be listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

In fact, such has been the rush by the world’s luxury brands to get a foothold in China that there are, apparently, little to no spaces left for them in the malls of the country’s largest cities.

Bad news for the brands themselves — keen to get a slice of a market estimated to be now worth 84 billion yuan (nine billion euros) a year — but it is good news for China’s fast-growing number of online luxury-only shopping portals.

American Express and French internet sales specialist vente-privee.com announced Thursday a new joint venture to introduce an online platform to sell designer brands in the United States.

Each partner will invest around $20 million in the new enterprise, which has yet to be named, vente-privee chief executive Jacques-Antoine Granjon said.

The new online shopping destination will be launched before the end of the year, added Granjon who was voted “Businessman of the Year 2010″ by GQ Magazine.