Privacy Policy

Who We Are

VinoSipSavvy ("we," "us," or "our") is a mobile application and web platform designed to guide wine enthusiasts through their wine education journey using AI-powered tools, tasting journals, and curated recommendations. We are the data controller for personal information collected through this app and website.

If you have questions about this policy or how we handle your data, please contact us using the details in Section 12 below.

Information We Collect

• Account information: Name, email address, and password when you create an account.
• Profile details: Your self-identified wine experience level (e.g., New Sipper, Weekend Explorer), flavor preferences, and any optional details you add to your profile.
• Tasting journal entries: Notes, ratings, wine names, vintages, and any photos you log in your personal tasting journal.
• Scanned wine labels: Images you capture using the wine-label scanning feature. These images are processed to identify the wine and provide tasting notes and recommendations.
• Scanned restaurant wine lists: Images of wine menus you capture using the Wine List Scanner feature. These images are processed to extract the list and cross-referenced with your preferences to generate personalized recommendations. Any meal description you optionally enter is also processed to generate food-pairing suggestions.
• Bug reports and feedback: Any content you submit through the Report Issue form or other feedback channels.

• Device information: Device type, operating system version, unique device identifiers, and app version.
• Usage data: Features you interact with, pages viewed, session duration, and in-app navigation patterns.
• Crash reports and diagnostics: Error logs and performance data to help us identify and fix technical issues.
• IP address and general location: Approximate location derived from your IP address for regional content (e.g., wine regions relevant to you). We do not collect precise GPS location.

• App store platforms: Apple App Store and Google Play may share limited purchase or download data with us in accordance with their own privacy policies.
• AI service providers: When you use AI-powered features (such as wine recommendations or label scanning), queries may be processed by a third-party AI provider. We do not send personally identifying information with these queries unless necessary to fulfill the feature.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and maintain your account and personalize your Palette Journey experience.
• Power AI-driven wine recommendations, label identification, and tasting guidance.
• Save and display your tasting journal entries across devices.
• Send you app updates, new feature announcements, and educational wine content (you may opt out at any time).
• Analyze usage patterns to improve app performance, fix bugs, and develop new features.
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service.
• Prevent fraud, abuse, and unauthorized access to our platform.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not use your tasting journal entries or wine preferences for advertising targeting by third-party ad networks.

AI Features & Your Data

VinoSipSavvy uses artificial intelligence to power features including wine label scanning, personalized recommendations, and guided learning paths. Here is how we handle your data in the context of these features:

• Label scanning: Images you scan are sent to an AI processing service to identify the wine. Images are not stored beyond the time required to return a result unless you explicitly save the entry to your tasting journal.
• Wine list scanning: Images of restaurant wine menus are sent to our AI service to extract the wine list. The extracted list is then cross-referenced with your taste profile and tasting journal to generate ranked suggestions. Any meal description you enter is used solely to generate food-pairing picks from that session's wine list. Menu images and meal descriptions are not stored beyond the active session.
• Recommendations: Your stated preferences and journal history are used locally and/or processed by our AI systems to generate personalized suggestions. This data is not shared with third-party advertisers.
• Model training: We do not use your personal tasting notes, journal entries, or scanned images to train AI models without your explicit consent.

Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. We may share information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: Trusted vendors who help us operate the app (cloud hosting, analytics, AI processing, customer support tools). These providers are contractually required to protect your data and may only use it to provide services to us.
• Affiliate partners (tools.html): The VinoSipSavvy Tools page includes affiliate links monetized through Skimlinks. Skimlinks may collect browsing data related to those links. See the Skimlinks Privacy Policy for details.
• Legal requirements: If required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of our users or the public.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred. We will notify you via email or prominent in-app notice before this occurs.

Age Restriction

VinoSipSavvy is intended exclusively for users who are of legal drinking age in their jurisdiction (21+ in the United States; 18+ or 19+ in other countries, as applicable). We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the legal drinking age.

If we become aware that we have collected information from a user who does not meet the legal age requirement, we will promptly delete that information and terminate the associated account. If you believe a minor has created an account, please contact us immediately at the address in Section 12.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services. Specifically:

• Account data: Retained for the life of your account, plus up to 90 days after deletion to allow for account recovery requests.
• Tasting journal entries: Retained as long as your account is active. Deleted within 30 days of account deletion.
• Wine catalog reviews and ratings: After account deletion, your reviews and ratings are anonymized — all identifying information is permanently removed and replaced with a generic attribution (e.g., "A VinoSipSavvy Member"). The anonymized data is retained indefinitely to preserve the integrity of our wine catalog and continue providing accurate, palate-matched recommendations to other users. This is a legitimate interest processing purpose core to the app's function.
• Scanned images: Not retained beyond the processing session unless saved to your journal.
• Usage and analytics data: Retained in aggregated or anonymized form for up to 24 months.
• Legal obligations: Some data may be retained longer if required by law or to resolve disputes.

Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion: Request that we delete your account and associated personal data ("right to be forgotten"). Note that wine catalog reviews and ratings you submitted will be anonymized rather than deleted, as described in Section 7, to preserve core app functionality. Anonymized data can no longer be linked back to you.
• Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Objection / Restriction: Object to or ask us to limit certain processing activities.
• Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
• Opt out of marketing: Unsubscribe from promotional emails at any time using the link in any email we send, or through your account settings.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the address in Section 12. We will respond within 30 days. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

To request account and data deletion specifically, you may also use our Account Deletion Request form for faster processing.

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, including the right to know what personal information is collected and disclosed, the right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information), and the right to non-discrimination. To submit a request, contact us using the details in Section 12.

If you are located in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom, our legal bases for processing your data include: performance of a contract (providing the app), legitimate interests (security, analytics, product improvement), compliance with legal obligations, and your consent where explicitly obtained. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep you logged in across sessions (essential cookies).
• Understand how visitors use our site (analytics cookies — e.g., aggregate page views and navigation patterns).
• Remember your preferences (functional cookies).

We do not use third-party advertising cookies on the VinoSipSavvy main site. The Tools page uses Skimlinks, which may set its own cookies for affiliate tracking purposes.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may affect app functionality.

Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS/HTTPS) and at rest.
• Access controls limiting who can view personal data internally.
• Regular security assessments and monitoring.
• Secure authentication practices for account access.

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you in accordance with applicable law.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
• Notify you via in-app notification or email at least 14 days before the changes take effect (for material changes).

Your continued use of VinoSipSavvy after the effective date of any updated policy constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms. If you do not agree, please discontinue use and delete your account.

Contact Us

For privacy-related questions, requests to exercise your rights, or concerns about how we handle your data, please reach out: