Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This policy explains what information Vinote collects, how it's used, and the choices you have. Vinote is a personal wine journal — you photograph wine labels, add ratings and notes, and ask Vinote questions about what you've logged. By using the app, you agree to the collection and use of information as described here.

2. Information you provide

• Account information: your email address, or the account identifier provided by Google or Apple if you sign in that way.
• Wine journal entries: wine name, producer, vintage and grape (read from the label or entered by hand), your rating, your note, a photo of the label, and the price if you choose to record it.
• Ask Vinote questions: the questions you ask and the answers you receive, which draw on your own journal entries.

3. Information collected automatically

• Usage data: which features you use, so we can tell what's working and what isn't.
• Device and diagnostic data: device type, operating system version, and crash or performance data if the app fails, so we can fix it.
• Subscription status: whether you're on the free plan or Premium, and your usage against the free plan's limits — managed together with the App Store or Google Play and our subscription provider, RevenueCat.

4. How we use this information

• To run the app: create your account, save your journal, and provide search, Ask Vinote and Palate Profile.
• To read labels and answer questions: photos and questions are sent to the AI services that power label recognition and Ask Vinote, only to generate that response.
• To fix problems: diagnose crashes and bugs.
• To respond to you: if you email us for support.
• To meet legal obligations, where we have to.

5. How we share information

We don't sell your journal, and we don't share it to advertise to you or anyone else. We use a small number of service providers to run the app, and share only what each one needs to do its job:

• Firebase (Google) — authentication, database, analytics and crash reporting.
• A third-party AI service provider — processes label photos and Ask Vinote questions to generate a response. We don't control how long that provider retains data it processes; we don't use it to train models beyond what's needed to answer your request.
• RevenueCat — manages and verifies your subscription status.
• The App Store or Google Play — processes your subscription payment; we never see your card details.

We may also share information if required by law, or if Vinote is ever acquired or merged — in which case your data would be covered by this same policy or one you're notified of first.

6. Data storage and security

Your data is stored using Firebase, with encrypted transmission (HTTPS/TLS) and Firebase's access controls restricting who and what can read it. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we take reasonable, industry-standard steps to protect your information.

7. Data retention

We keep your information for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, your personal data is permanently deleted within 30 days. Backup copies may persist for up to 90 days before being purged. Some anonymised usage data may be retained for analytics, and we may retain information we're legally required to keep.

8. Your rights and choices

You can, at any time:

• Export your journal — take a copy of everything you've logged.
• Correct anything inaccurate directly in the app.
• Delete your account and everything in it — see Delete account.
• Ask what information we hold about you, by emailing us.

9. Children's privacy

Vinote isn't intended for anyone under 18, or under the legal drinking age where you live, whichever is higher. We don't knowingly collect information from children, and we'll delete it if we become aware we have.

10. International users

Vinote is operated from the UK, and this policy is written to meet UK data protection law. If you're in the EU, EEA, California or elsewhere, you may have equivalent rights (such as under the GDPR or CCPA) to access, correct or delete your information, and to know what we collect — all of which you can already do through the app or by emailing us. We don't sell personal information, so there's nothing to opt out of on that front.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the app changes. If a change is significant, we'll tell you in the app before it takes effect. The date below always reflects the current version.

12. Contact

Email support@vinote.co.uk with any questions about this policy or your data.