Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

The Champagne Companion is an independent digital platform dedicated to the Champagne wine region. The data controller responsible for your personal data is:

As we are based in the Netherlands, your data is processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable Dutch law.

2. What Data We Collect and Why

Newsletter and waitlist sign-ups

When you submit your email address to join our mailing list or waitlist, we store that address and the date on which you signed up. We use this information solely to send you updates about The Champagne Companion — new content, features, and announcements. The legal basis for this processing is your consent (GDPR Article 6(1)(a)). You may withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send, or by contacting us directly.

Account registration

When you create a member account, we collect your name and email address, along with a securely hashed version of your chosen password. This information is used to provide you with access to your account and the features available to members. The legal basis for this processing is the performance of a contract with you (GDPR Article 6(1)(b)).

Data we do not collect

We do not currently use analytics tools that track your behaviour across the site. We do not collect payment card details directly — if payment processing is introduced in the future, it will be handled by a certified third-party processor and this policy will be updated accordingly.

3. How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary:

• Newsletter and waitlist email addresses are retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
• Account data is retained for as long as your account remains active. If you close your account, we will delete your personal data within 30 days, unless we are required by law to retain it for longer.

4. Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell, rent, or otherwise share your personal data with third parties for their own purposes. We do not currently use third-party services that receive or process your personal data on our behalf. If this changes, we will update this policy and inform you where required by law.

We may disclose data if required to do so by law or in response to a valid legal process.

5. International Transfers

Your data is stored and processed within the European Economic Area (EEA). Our website is served through Cloudflare's infrastructure, which operates globally. Cloudflare may process certain technical data (such as IP addresses for security and performance purposes) outside the EEA. Where such transfers occur, Cloudflare relies on appropriate safeguards including Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission. For more information, see Cloudflare's Privacy Policy.

6. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have the following rights in relation to the personal data we hold about you:

• Right of access — you may request a copy of the data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification — you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure — you may ask us to delete your personal data, subject to certain legal exceptions.
• Right to restriction — you may ask us to restrict how we process your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability — you may request that we provide your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to object — you may object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
• Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at shaun@thechampagnecompanion.com. We will respond within one month.

7. Right to Lodge a Complaint

If you believe we have not handled your personal data in accordance with applicable law, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Dutch supervisory authority:

We would, however, appreciate the opportunity to address your concern before you contact the AP. Please reach out to us first.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Where changes are significant, we will notify members by email. The date at the top of this page always reflects the most recent version.

9. Contact

For any questions or requests relating to this policy or your personal data, please contact us at shaun@thechampagnecompanion.com.