Privacy Policy

Last updated: 14 June 2026. Philosophy of Wine (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect about you, how we use it, who we share it with, and the rights you have under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Luxembourg data protection law. It applies to our website at philosophyofwine.com, our online shop, and the wine courses, masterclasses, tastings and events we provide.

1. Who we are (data controller)

The data controller responsible for your personal data is Philosophy of Wine, operated by Jessica van der Schee, registered at 44 rue de l’Industrie, L-8069 Strassen, Luxembourg. Business permit (autorisation d’établissement) No. 10168887; VAT number LU35967223. For privacy matters, contact Jess@philosophyofwine.com (please put “Data Protection” in the subject line).

2. The personal data we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

• Identity data — your name and, where you register for a WSET course or exam, your date of birth.
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• Contact data — email address, telephone number and billing/delivery address.
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• Account data — login details and preferences if you create an account in our shop.
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• Order and transaction data — products and courses purchased, order history, and payment confirmation details. We do not store your full card details; payments are processed securely by our payment provider.
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• Course and exam data — information needed to register you with WSET, administer your exam, and arrange any reasonable adjustments, including identity verification at the exam.
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• Marketing data — your preferences for receiving marketing and your communication preferences.
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• Technical and usage data — IP address, browser and device information, and how you use our website, collected through cookies and similar technologies (see our Cookie Policy).
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• Communications data — the content of messages you send us by email or through our forms.
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A student must be at least 16 years old (the minimum legal drinking age in Luxembourg). We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 16.

3. How we collect your data

We collect data directly from you (when you book a course, place an order, create an account, sign up to our newsletter, or contact us); automatically through cookies and similar technologies when you use our website; and from third parties such as our payment provider (confirmation that a payment succeeded) or analytics providers.

4. Why we use your data and our legal bases

We only use your personal data where the law allows us to, relying on these legal bases under Article 6 GDPR: performance of a contract (to provide your courses and orders, and to register you with WSET); compliance with a legal obligation (payments, accounting, tax and exam records); your consent (marketing emails and non-essential cookies, which you can withdraw at any time); and our legitimate interests (to operate, secure and improve our website and respond to enquiries).

5. Who we share your data with

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with trusted parties who help us run our business, and only as necessary:

• WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) — to register you for exams, grade exams, issue certificates and validate future enrolments. WSET handles your data under its own Data Protection Policy.
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• Our e-commerce and website platforms — Shopify (online shop and checkout) and Squarespace (brand website).
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• Our payment provider — Shopify Payments (powered by Stripe).
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• Our email and marketing platform — Klaviyo (where you have consented).
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• Analytics providers — Google Analytics.
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• Delivery and logistics partners — couriers, where physical goods are shipped to you.
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• Professional advisers and authorities — our accountants and, where required by law, tax authorities, regulators or other public bodies.
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6. International transfers

Some of our service providers are located outside the European Economic Area (for example in the United Kingdom or the United States). Where we transfer your data outside the EEA, we ensure an appropriate safeguard is in place — such as an EU adequacy decision, the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses, or a data protection agreement with the awarding body (for example, our data protection agreement with WSET) — so that your data remains protected.

7. Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to make the site work, to remember your preferences, and (with your consent) for analytics and marketing. You can manage your preferences through our cookie banner and your browser settings. For more detail, please see our separate Cookie Policy.

8. How long we keep your data

We keep your personal data only for as long as necessary: order, payment, accounting and tax records for the period required by Luxembourg law (generally up to 10 years); WSET course and exam records for at least three years after the course, as required by WSET; marketing data until you unsubscribe; and account data for as long as your account is active. When we no longer need your data, we securely delete or anonymise it.

9. Your rights

Under the GDPR you have the right to access, rectification, erasure, restriction, data portability, objection (including to direct marketing at any time), and to withdraw consent where we rely on it. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at Jess@philosophyofwine.com and we will respond within one month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Luxembourg supervisory authority, the Commission nationale pour la protection des données (CNPD) — www.cnpd.public.lu — though we would appreciate the chance to address your concerns first.

10. How we protect your data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or alteration. Payments are processed through secure, PCI-compliant providers, and access to personal data is limited to those who need it.

11. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.

12. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us at Jess@philosophyofwine.com with “Data Protection” in the subject line.