Vinea is built by a single home winemaker for other home winemakers. We've kept the data story as small as we can manage, and this page tells you exactly what we collect, where it goes, and how to get rid of it.
The short version
- Your cellar records live on your device and in your private iCloud. We don't have access to your iCloud database.
- If you use the AI assistant, including a free analysis, a summary of that batch passes through Cloudflare to Anthropic. Caching and provider retention are explained below.
- We keep limited identifiers, usage counters, and service logs to verify access, enforce usage limits, troubleshoot failures, and prevent abuse.
- If you join the waitlist on this site, we keep your email address for the launch notification. You can ask us to delete it at any time.
- We don't use ad networks, third-party analytics SDKs, or cross-app advertising trackers.
Who we are
"Vinea" refers to the iOS app and the website at vineacellar.com (collectively, "we," "us"). For any privacy question, write to privacy@vineacellar.com — that's the canonical contact path and we read every message.
What data we collect, and why
1. Cellar data you enter in the app
Your batches, readings, additions, stage notes, and photos are stored on your device and synced to your private iCloud through Apple when available. We do not host your cellar database or have access to your private iCloud records. If you request an AI analysis, the selected batch summary is processed as described below. Deleting the app does not necessarily delete its iCloud data or backups you have exported.
2. Subscription verification
When you use Pro AI, your device sends our gateway an Apple-signed subscription proof. We verify its signature and entitlement details, including the product, expiration, and transaction information. We use Apple's original transaction identifier to associate usage with your subscription. This is a pseudonymous identifier, not your name or email address. The proof does not give us your payment details or Apple account credentials.
We use that identifier to count successful AI analyses against the monthly Pro allowance. The allowance resets each calendar month in UTC; stored counter records expire 35 days after their last update. We do not persist the subscription proof itself.
3. AI analysis requests
When you request an analysis through "Ask Vinea," we send a summary of that batch through Cloudflare to Anthropic and return an assessment to your device. This applies to both free and Pro analyses. We do not maintain a server-side conversation history. Cloudflare may cache an assessment for up to five minutes to answer an identical request; production AI Gateway request and response logging is disabled.
The summary includes variety, vintage, stage, yeast strain, target gravity, timing, readings, additions, and any recorded malolactic fermentation (MLF) plan, progress, and latest check. It does not include your batch name, photos, or free-form batch and reading notes. Fields such as variety and addition names are user-entered, so avoid putting personal information in them. Your installation identifier and subscription proof are used by our gateway for access checks and are not included in the batch summary sent to Anthropic.
Anthropic's standard API policy provides for deletion of inputs and outputs within 30 days, with exceptions including safety, abuse investigations, and legal requirements. See its commercial data-retention policy for details. Cloudflare's AI Gateway caching documentation explains how identical requests use cached responses.
4. Usage limits and abuse prevention
To protect the AI service from automated misuse, repeated free-trial requests, and excessive costs, we process and store:
- Free-trial installation identifier and usage count. The app creates a random identifier and stores it in your device's Keychain, where it can survive reinstallation. Our gateway keeps that identifier and the number of successful free analyses with no automatic expiry so reinstalling does not renew the trial.
- IP address and daily free-usage count. We store the requesting IP address with a daily counter. The allowance resets at midnight UTC, and each counter record expires 48 hours after its last update. People sharing a network can share this limit. This IP-based daily limit does not apply to Pro analyses.
- Operational and security metadata. Cloudflare processes request metadata, and our service logs record events such as errors, rejected requests, and exhausted limits. A free-trial IP-limit event includes the IP address. These logs are separate from the counters and follow Cloudflare's applicable log-retention settings and policies.
We use these records to operate, secure, and troubleshoot the service, not for advertising or tracking your activity across other apps or websites. We may temporarily limit or block AI requests when a usage limit is reached or abuse is detected. Contact hello@vineacellar.com if you believe a restriction is mistaken.
5. Waitlist signup (this website only)
If you submit your email on this site to be notified when Vinea launches, we store:
- Your email address
- The page you signed up from
- Standard request metadata (IP address, user agent, referrer, approximate country) — used to deter spam and abuse
- The timestamp of the signup
We use this only to email you the launch link, and to enforce a per-IP rate limit on signups. We do not use it for marketing, drip sequences, or any other purpose. You can ask us to delete the record at any time.
6. App Store Analytics
Apple provides aggregate, anonymized analytics to developers — download counts, crash counts, retention curves — but only if you've enabled "Share With App Developers" in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements. We see counts, never identities. You can disable this any time.
Who we share data with
Vinea uses three external service providers to operate the app and website:
- Apple — handles the App Store, your iCloud sync, and subscription billing. Required for the app to function. Apple's Privacy Policy.
- Cloudflare — hosts this website and our backend services. Cloudflare Privacy Policy.
- Anthropic — processes free and Pro AI requests on our behalf. Anthropic Privacy Policy.
We don't sell or share data with anyone else. We don't use ad networks, third-party analytics, attribution tools, or similar trackers.
How long we keep data
| What | Retention |
|---|---|
| Your cellar records | On your device and in your private iCloud until you delete them; manage exported backups separately |
| AI request and response data | No Vinea server-side conversation history; Cloudflare response cache up to 5 minutes; Anthropic standard API retention up to 30 days, subject to the exceptions described above |
| Subscription verification token | Discarded immediately after the request |
| Subscription identifier + monthly AI usage counter | Expires 35 days after its last update; allowance resets monthly in UTC |
| Free-trial installation identifier + usage counter | No automatic expiry, to enforce the lifetime trial allowance |
| Free-AI IP address + daily counter | Expires 48 hours after its last update; allowance resets daily in UTC |
| Operational and security logs | Retained separately under Cloudflare's applicable log-retention settings and policies |
| Waitlist email + metadata | Kept for the launch notification; no automatic expiry. You can request deletion at any time |
| Waitlist IP rate-limit counter | Expires one hour after its last update |
Your rights
- Access and export. Vinea can create a complete
.vineabackuppackage containing a manifest and separate original photo assets, or a spreadsheet-friendly CSV export. Backup packages stay local until you choose where to share or save them. - Delete. Delete batches in the app, or delete the entire app and clear its iCloud data via Settings → Apple ID → iCloud → Manage Storage → Vinea. To request access to or deletion of waitlist, usage, or abuse-prevention records, email privacy@vineacellar.com. We may need information to locate the relevant record; we may retain limited records where permitted or required for security, abuse prevention, or legal obligations.
- Stop AI processing. Don't request an analysis through "Ask Vinea." There's no AI analysis without an explicit request. Canceling Pro stops its renewal, but does not itself delete service records or prevent use of any remaining free analyses.
- Device controls. Disable "Share With App Developers" in iOS Settings to stop sharing optional Apple analytics. Uninstalling stops future requests from the app; it does not automatically erase existing service records, Keychain identifiers, iCloud data, or exported backups.
Children
Vinea is intended for adults of legal drinking age in their jurisdiction. We do not direct the app at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we'll delete it.
Security
All traffic between the app, our backend, and our processors travels over encrypted connections. We don't store payment information or passwords; we don't operate any login system. Subscription proofs are cryptographically verified with Apple on every request. iCloud data is encrypted in transit and at rest by Apple.
International transfers
Vinea is operated from the United States. Cloudflare and Anthropic operate globally. If you use Vinea from outside the United States, your data may be processed in the U.S. or other countries where these providers operate.
Changes to this policy
If we make material changes — adding a new data type we collect, switching processors, or anything similar — we'll update this page and update the "Last updated" date at the top. For significant changes, we'll surface a notice in the app the next time you launch it.
Contact
Questions, requests, or complaints about privacy: privacy@vineacellar.com. We aim to respond within 7 days.