Privacy Policy

Your privacy matters to us as much as the quality of what's in every bottle. This Privacy Policy explains what information Art Council Wines collects, how we use it, and the choices you have. We believe in transparency — not fine print.

Effective: June 1, 2025

1. Overview

Art Council Wines ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website at artcouncilwines.com (the "Site") and sells wine and merchandise through our Shopify-powered store. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and protect personal information you provide when you visit the Site, make a purchase, or join the Art Council Insider membership.

By using the Site, you consent to the practices described in this Policy. If you do not agree with this Policy, please do not use the Site.

The short version: We collect only what we need to process your order and communicate with you. We do not sell your personal information. We do not share it with third parties except as necessary to fulfill your purchase. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly to us, as well as certain information automatically when you use the Site.

  • Website Analytics: We gather anonymous browsing data (e.g., page views, session duration, device used) to improve your experience and our design flow.
  • Personal Details: When you place an order, join our Insider membership or subscribe to updates, we collect information such as your name, email, shipping address, billing address, and phone number to fulfill your requests and provide updates.
  • User-generated Inputs: If you participate in tasting journals or label interactions, we only record and store what you intentionally share, so your personal journey with our wines stays your own.

3. How We Use Your Information

 

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • Order fulfillment: To process, ship, and confirm your purchases, and to verify age as required by law.
  • Account management: To create and maintain your account, manage your Art Council Club membership, and process recurring membership billing.
  • Customer service: To respond to your inquiries, resolve disputes, and address claims related to your orders.
  • Marketing communications: To send you updates about new releases, artist reveals, events, and promotions — only if you have opted in. You may unsubscribe at any time.
  • Site improvement: To understand how visitors use the Site and improve our content, product offerings, and user experience.
  • Legal compliance: To comply with applicable laws, including alcohol shipping regulations, tax obligations, and fraud prevention.
  • Safety & security: To detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent transactions or unauthorized access to the Site.

We will not use your personal information for any purpose not described in this Policy without your prior consent.

4. Sharing of Information

We do not sell your personal information. We do not rent, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal data to outside parties for their own marketing purposes.

We share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

  • Shipping carriers: We share your name and delivery address with UPS or equivalent carriers to fulfill your order. Carriers are required to verify recipient age (21+) upon delivery.
  • Payment processors: Payment information is processed by Shopify Payments and its partners. We receive only a tokenized reference — never your full card details.
  • Email service providers: We use third-party email platforms (such as Klaviyo or Shopify Email) to send order confirmations and marketing communications. These providers process your email address on our behalf and are contractually prohibited from using it for their own purposes.
  • Legal requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government authority, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Art Council Wines, our customers, or others.

5. Cookies & Tracking

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on the Site, remember your preferences, and understand how visitors interact with our content.

  • Essential cookies: Required for the Site to function — including shopping cart persistence and secure checkout. These cannot be disabled.
  • Analytics cookies: We use tools such as Google Analytics to understand Site traffic and behavior. This data is aggregated and anonymized.
  • Marketing cookies: If you engage with our ads on social platforms (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), those platforms may place tracking pixels on the Site to measure ad performance. We do not control these cookies.
  • Age verification cookie: After confirming your age on the Site, a cookie is stored to prevent you from being asked again during the same browser session.

You may disable cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect your ability to complete a purchase. For more information on managing cookies, visit allaboutcookies.org.

6. Email Communications

We send two types of email communications:

  • Transactional emails: Order confirmations, shipping notifications, membership billing receipts, and account-related messages. These are required to fulfill your purchase and cannot be opted out of while an active order or membership exists.
  • Marketing emails: New release announcements, artist reveals, event invitations, and promotional content. These are sent only if you have explicitly opted in — at checkout, through our mailing list signup, or as part of Art Council Insider enrollment.

You may unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any marketing email, or by emailing us at info@artcouncilwines.com. Unsubscribing from marketing does not affect transactional communications. Standard carrier and data rates may apply.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

  • Order records: Retained for a minimum of 7 years to comply with tax and financial record-keeping requirements.
  • Membership records: Retained for the duration of your membership and for a reasonable period thereafter in the event of disputes.
  • Marketing data: Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
  • Age verification records: Retained as required by applicable alcohol shipping regulations.

When your data is no longer required, we securely delete or anonymize it in accordance with our data retention schedule.

8. Data Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously. Art Council Wines uses industry-standard security measures, including:

  • SSL/TLS encryption on all pages of the Site (indicated by the padlock in your browser)
  • Shopify's PCI-DSS compliant payment processing — we never handle or store raw card data
  • Restricted internal access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
  • Regular review of data collection and storage practices

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the unlikely event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you as required by applicable law.

9. Minors

If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a person under 21, we will promptly delete that information and cancel any associated order. If you believe we may have collected information from a minor, please contact us immediately at info@artcouncilwines.com.

10. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. Art Council Wines will honor the following requests:

  • Access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
  • Correction: You may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements (such as order and tax records).
  • Portability: You may request that we provide your personal information in a structured, machine-readable format.
  • Opt-out of marketing: You may withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
  • Restriction: You may request that we limit the processing of your information in certain circumstances.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@artcouncilwines.com. We will respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

11. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) provide you with specific rights regarding your personal information.

  • Right to Know: You have the right to request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you in the past 12 months.
  • Right to Delete: You have the right to request deletion of personal information we have collected, subject to certain exceptions.
  • Right to Correct: You have the right to request correction of inaccurate personal information.
  • Right to Opt-Out of Sale: Art Council Wines does not sell personal information. No opt-out is required, but we honor any such request.
  • Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights.

To submit a verifiable consumer request under the CCPA/CPRA, don't hesitate to get in touch with us at info@artcouncilwines.com. You may also designate an authorized agent to request on your behalf.

We do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes without your consent.

12. Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to artist websites, social media platforms, press publications, and other third-party destinations. These sites have their own privacy policies and practices, which we do not control and are not responsible for.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit. The inclusion of a link does not imply endorsement or affiliation by Art Council Wines.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or the services we offer. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Site following any update constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy. For significant changes, we may also notify you by email if you have an account with us.

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal information, please reach out to us at info@artcouncilwines.com—we’re here to help.

Art Council Wines is a Black-owned, woman-led brand headquartered in California. We are committed to handling your personal information with the same care and intentionality we bring to everything we create.