Cookie Notice

1. What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website.

Cookies help websites remember sessions, preferences, security information, and usage activity.

Similar technologies may include local storage, session storage, pixels, tags, SDKs, server logs, and tracking identifiers.

2. Why we use cookies

TheWineAI may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Keep you signed in
• Protect your account and authenticated sessions
• Confirm age-related access controls where enabled
• Remember preferences and settings
• Improve Platform performance and stability
• Understand how the Platform is used
• Detect abuse, fraud, spam, scraping, and security incidents
• Support maps, route planning, media, and third-party integrations
• Support marketing or promotional features where consent is required and obtained

3. Cookies we use today

TheWineAI currently uses essential cookies required to operate the Platform.

We do not use advertising cookies or third-party analytics cookies at this time unless stated otherwise in an updated notice or consent banner.

• Authentication cookies — keep you signed in and protect your session
• Security cookies — help protect accounts, prevent abuse, support rate limiting, and reduce fraud
• Age confirmation cookies — remember that age confirmation has been completed where enabled
• Preference cookies — remember basic settings where required for Platform functionality

4. Categories of cookies

As the Platform grows, we may use the following categories of cookies and similar technologies:

• Essential cookies — required for authentication, security, age checks, load balancing, and core functionality
• Preference cookies — remember settings such as region, display preferences, saved filters, and user choices
• Analytics cookies — help us understand usage, improve recommendations, measure performance, and fix problems
• Performance cookies — assist with monitoring, diagnostics, caching, and troubleshooting
• Marketing cookies — support campaigns, promotions, attribution, and advertising where applicable
• Third-party cookies — may be set by integrated services such as maps, media embeds, payment providers, or analytics providers

5. Third-party cookies and integrations

Some features may rely on third-party services that use their own cookies, logs, identifiers, or tracking technologies.

These services may include Google Maps, geocoding providers, payment providers, media storage, analytics tools, monitoring tools, embedded content, and social media platforms.

Third-party cookies and technologies are governed by the relevant third party’s own terms and privacy policies.

6. Mapping technologies

Route planning, farm location, distance, and map features may use mapping technologies provided by Google or other mapping providers.

These services may collect information such as IP address, location searches, map interactions, route requests, device information, and usage data in accordance with their own policies.

7. POPIA and your choice

Essential cookies are necessary for the service you request, such as signing in, securing your account, remembering age confirmation, and preventing abuse.

Because essential cookies are strictly required, they do not require separate marketing consent, but we disclose them for transparency.

Where required by law, we will ask for your consent before setting non-essential cookies such as analytics, performance, or marketing cookies.

8. Cookie consent

When non-essential cookies are used, we may display a cookie banner or settings tool allowing you to accept, reject, or manage cookie preferences.

You may withdraw or change consent preferences at any time through the cookie settings made available on the Platform, where such functionality is available.

Withdrawing consent will not affect cookies that were lawfully used before withdrawal.

9. How to control cookies

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings.

Blocking essential cookies may prevent you from signing in, using authenticated features, saving preferences, creating routes, or accessing age-restricted content.

To end your session, use Log out in the Platform or clear site data for TheWineAI in your browser.

10. Local storage and session storage

The Platform may use browser local storage or session storage to remember temporary settings, UI preferences, route selections, filters, authentication-related state, or other information needed for functionality.

You can clear local storage and session storage through your browser settings by clearing site data.

11. Do Not Track

Some browsers offer Do Not Track signals.

There is no single industry standard for responding to Do Not Track signals, so the Platform may not respond to them unless required by law.

12. Changes

We will update this Cookie Notice if our use of cookies or similar technologies changes. The "Last updated" date at the top will change when we do.

If we introduce non-essential cookies that require consent, we will provide appropriate notice and choice where required.