Privacy Policy

1. Privacy at a glance

General information

The following information provides a simple overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit this online shop or make a purchase. Personal data is any data with which you can be personally identified. Detailed information on the subject of data protection can be found in the privacy policy listed below this text.

Who is responsible?

The entity responsible for data processing in this online shop is Weingut Steffen Zelt. Full contact details can be found in section 3 under “Information on the responsible entity”.

What data is collected?

When visiting and using this shop, the following data is essentially processed:

• Data that you actively provide (e.g., when placing an order, signing up for the newsletter, or in the AI Sommelier chat),

• Data that arises in the context of contract processing (e.g., order history),

• Technical data that is automatically collected when visiting the website (e.g., IP address, browser type).

Why is your data processed?

Data processing is carried out in particular for contract processing (ordering, shipping, payment), for the provision of the online shop, for the fulfillment of legal obligations (e.g., accounting, taxes, youth protection) as well as on the basis of your consent (e.g., for the newsletter).

What rights do you have?

You have the right to free information, correction, deletion, and restriction of the processing of your data at any time, as well as the right to data portability and the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. Details can be found in section 3.

Who processes your data technically?

This online shop is operated via the Vinolin UG (haftungsbeschränkt) platform. Vinolin processes part of your data as a processor on behalf of the above-mentioned responsible party. For certain functions (in particular the central login service and the AI Sommelier under the sole responsibility of Vinolin), Vinolin is the controller; details on this can be found in sections 5, 6, and 7.

2. Hosting and technical provision

The online shop is operated on the SaaS platform “Vinolin Suite” of Vinolin UG (haftungsbeschränkt), Bildungscampus 11, 74076 Heilbronn. Vinolin processes the personal data generated in this shop as a processor on behalf of the shop operator. A data processing agreement has been concluded with Vinolin in accordance with Art. 28 GDPR.

Vinolin uses the following sub-processors for the technical provision of the platform:

• Vercel Inc. (USA, with global CDN) — Web hosting and delivery of static content

• Neon Inc. (USA, data processing in Frankfurt am Main) — Database hosting

• Inngest, Inc. (USA) — Background job processing

• Amazon Web Services EMEA SARL (Luxembourg, data processing in Frankfurt am Main) — Sending transactional emails (e.g., order confirmations)

• Google Ireland Ltd. (Ireland, data processing in Frankfurt am Main) — AI functions for the Sommelier (cf. section 7)

For sub-processors located outside the EU, EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are used in accordance with Art. 46 (2) lit. c GDPR; in some cases, there is also self-certification under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

Processing is carried out for the performance of a contract with our customers (Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR) and on the basis of our legitimate interest in the secure, fast, and efficient provision of the online shop by professional providers (Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR).

3. General information and mandatory information

Data protection

We take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with the statutory data protection regulations and this privacy policy.

We would like to point out that data transmission on the Internet (e.g., during communication by email) can have security gaps. Complete protection of data from access by third parties is not possible.

Information on the responsible entity

The responsible entity for data processing in this online shop is:

Weingut Steffen Zelt
Hauptstraße 44
67229 Laumersheim
Phone: 06238 / 2023
Email: info@weingut-zelt.de

VAT ID: DE247294130

Data protection officer

We have not appointed a data protection officer as we are not obliged to do so. For questions regarding data protection, please contact the contact details provided under “Information on the responsible entity”.

Storage duration

Unless a more specific storage period has been stated in this privacy policy, your personal data will remain with us until the purpose for data processing no longer applies. If you assert a justified request for deletion or revoke your consent to data processing, your data will be deleted, provided we have no other legally permissible reasons for storing your personal data (e.g., tax or commercial retention periods under § 257 HGB / § 147 AO; usually ten years); in the latter case, deletion will take place after these reasons cease to exist.

General information on the legal bases for data processing

If you have consented to data processing, we process your personal data on the basis of Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR. If your data is required for the fulfillment of a contract or the implementation of pre-contractual measures, we process your data on the basis of Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR. Furthermore, we process your data if it is required to fulfill a legal obligation on the basis of Art. 6 (1) lit. c GDPR. Data processing can also occur on the basis of our legitimate interest according to Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR. Information about the relevant legal bases in individual cases is provided in the following paragraphs of this privacy policy.

Recipients of personal data

In the course of our business activities, we work with various external bodies. This sometimes requires the transfer of personal data to these external bodies. We only pass personal data on to external bodies if this is necessary for the performance of a contract, if we are legally obliged to do so, if we have a legitimate interest in the disclosure pursuant to Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR, or if another legal basis allows the data transfer. When using processors, we only pass on personal data on the basis of a valid contract for data processing.

Revocation of your consent to data processing

Many data processing operations are only possible with your express consent. You can revoke consent you have already given at any time. The legality of the data processing carried out until the revocation remains unaffected by the revocation.

Right of objection (Art. 21 GDPR)

If data processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 6 (1) lit. e or f GDPR, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of your personal data for reasons arising from your particular situation; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If you object, we will no longer process your affected personal data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for processing that outweigh your interests, rights, and freedoms, or the processing serves the assertion, exercise, or defense of legal claims.

If your personal data is processed to engage in direct advertising, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of your personal data for the purpose of such advertising. If you object, your personal data will subsequently no longer be used for the purpose of direct advertising.

Right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority

In the event of violations of the GDPR, data subjects have a right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of their habitual residence, their place of work, or the place of the alleged infringement. The right to lodge a complaint exists without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedies.

Rheinland-Pfalz: The State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information Rheinland-Pfalz, Hintere Bleiche 34, 55116 Mainz.

Right to data portability

You have the right to have data that we process automatically on the basis of your consent or in fulfillment of a contract handed over to yourself or to a third party in a standard, machine-readable format. If you require the direct transfer of the data to another controller, this will only take place as far as it is technically feasible.

Access, correction, and deletion

Within the framework of the applicable statutory provisions, you have the right at any time to free information about your stored personal data, its origin and recipients, and the purpose of data processing and, if applicable, a right to correction or deletion of this data.

Right to restriction of processing

You have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data. You can contact us at any time for this purpose.

SSL or TLS encryption

This site uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as orders or inquiries that you send to us as the site operator. You can recognize an encrypted connection by the fact that the browser's address line changes from “http://” to “https://” and by the lock symbol in your browser line.

Objection to advertising emails

The use of contact data published within the scope of the imprint obligation for the purpose of sending unsolicited advertising and information materials is hereby rejected. The operators of the sites expressly reserve the right to take legal action in the event of the unsolicited sending of advertising information, such as through spam emails.

4. Data collection when visiting this shop

4.1 Cookies

We use only technically necessary cookies in this online shop. These cookies are required for the shop to function — in particular for:

• managing your login session (if you have logged in via the Vinolin login),

• managing your shopping cart,

• secure processing of the ordering and payment process,

• technical identification of your session during the AI Sommelier chat (Conversation-ID).

These cookies are set on the basis of § 25 (2) no. 2 TDDDG without consent, as they are absolutely necessary for the provision of the services you have expressly requested. The legal basis for the associated data processing is Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR (performance of a contract) and/or Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR (legitimate interest in secure and functional operation).

We do not use cookies for tracking, analysis, or marketing. We therefore do not use a cookie banner.

You can set your browser so that you are informed about the setting of cookies and only allow cookies in individual cases or generally exclude them. When disabling technically necessary cookies, the functionality of this shop is restricted.

4.2 Server log files

When you call up this online shop, information is automatically recorded in so-called server log files that your browser transmits automatically via the infrastructure of our platform provider Vinolin (cf. section 2). These are: Browser type and browser version, operating system used, referrer URL, hostname of the accessing computer, time of the server request, IP address.

These data are not combined with other data sources. The collection of this data is based on Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in the technically error-free provision of this shop and the security of our systems. The logs are generally deleted automatically after 30 days.

5. End customer account and login (account.vinolin.com)

5.1 Central login service

For logging in to this shop, we use the central login service of Vinolin UG (haftungsbeschränkt) under the domain account.vinolin.com. This service allows you to shop in all Vinolin shops with a single account without having to create a separate account for each shop.

Responsible for the processing of your account data within the scope of this login service is Vinolin UG (haftungsbeschränkt), Bildungscampus 11, 74076 Heilbronn. The applicable privacy policy can be found at https://vinolin.com/datenschutz.

5.2 What data is processed?

When registering and logging in via the Vinolin account, the following data is processed in particular:

• First name, last name (optional gender and profile picture)

• Email address and email verification status

• Phone number (optional)

• Date of birth (in the context of age specification)

• Password hash, session token, OAuth tokens

• IP address and user agent at the time of login

5.3 When is your data passed on to us?

Only as soon as you make a purchase in our shop or register for our newsletter will the data necessary for these purposes be transmitted by Vinolin to us as the shop operator. From this point on, we are responsible for the processing of the data associated with the order or the newsletter (cf. sections 6 and 8).

6. Order processing in the shop

6.1 What data is processed when placing an order?

In the context of an order, we process the data required for contract processing. This is partly collected directly from you, partly provided via the Vinolin account or the payment service provider:

Master and contact data (via Vinolin account):

• First and last name, email address, possibly phone number

• Date of birth (for age verification in accordance with youth protection laws)

Address and payment data (via the payment service provider Stripe, cf. section 6.3):

• Delivery and billing address

• Payment data (e.g., credit card token; full card details are not stored by us)

Order data:

• Order number, order items, quantities, prices

• Order status, shipping status

• Invoicing documents

6.2 Legal basis and storage duration

The processing of order data is carried out on the basis of Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR (performance of a contract). Order data that is relevant for accounting (in particular invoices) is stored for ten (10) years in accordance with § 257 HGB / § 147 AO. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) lit. c GDPR (legal obligation).

6.3 Payment processing via Stripe

Payment processing in this shop is carried out via the payment service provider Stripe Payments Europe Ltd., 1 Grand Canal Street Lower, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin, D02 H210, Ireland. You can pay via Stripe using, among other things, credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Wero.

Stripe is an independent controller within the meaning of Art. 4 No. 7 GDPR in the context of payment processing. You enter your payment data (in particular card and bank details, delivery and billing address) directly with Stripe. Stripe processes this data under its own responsibility for payment processing as well as for the fulfillment of legal obligations (in particular in the area of anti-money laundering).

We only transmit your email address to Stripe to enable Stripe to identify your order. We receive status information about the payment back from Stripe, as well as the delivery address required for shipping.

Further information can be found in Stripe's privacy policy at https://stripe.com/de/privacy.

6.4 Payment processing via PayPal

If you choose to pay with PayPal, payment processing is carried out via PayPal (Europe) S.à r.l. et Cie, S.C.A., 22-24 Boulevard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg, Luxembourg.

PayPal is an independent controller within the context of payment processing. You enter your payment data directly with PayPal. PayPal processes this data under its own responsibility. Further information can be found in PayPal's privacy policy at https://www.paypal.com/de/legalhub/privacy-full.

6.5 Shipping of goods

We handle shipping ourselves via a shipping service provider commissioned by us (DHL, DPD, or another comparable shipping service provider). For this purpose, we transmit your delivery and, if applicable, contact data (email address, phone number) to the shipping service provider. The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR.

6.6 Sending order confirmations and status emails

Within the framework of order processing, you will receive automated emails (order confirmation, shipping confirmation, status information). The technical dispatch takes place via the infrastructure of our platform provider Vinolin and is handled via the sub-processor Amazon Web Services EMEA SARL (cf. section 2).

7. AI Sommelier

In this shop, an AI-supported sommelier is available to recommend suitable wines from our range based on your taste preferences.

7.1 Anonymous use

You can also use the AI Sommelier without logging in. Before using it for the first time, you must agree to the processing of your entries. When used anonymously, the conversation history is saved; an IP address is not recorded, so that it is not possible to recognize you across multiple sessions.

7.2 Use with a logged-in account

If you are logged in via your Vinolin account, your name will also be transmitted to enable more personalized advice. In the future, a cross-shop taste profile managed via the Vinolin account may also be included, provided you have consented to the creation and use of such a profile.

7.3 Controller

The entity responsible for the provision of the AI Sommelier within the scope of this shop is Weingut Steffen Zelt as the shop operator. Vinolin processes the data generated in the sommelier dialogue as a processor on behalf of the shop operator (cf. section 2). The processing of the cross-shop taste profile is carried out by Vinolin under its own responsibility; details and the possibility for consent or revocation can be found in Vinolin's privacy policy.

7.4 AI processing via Google Vertex AI

To generate the AI responses, your entries and, if applicable, your name are transmitted to Google Ireland Ltd. (Google Vertex AI). The processing takes place in a data center in Frankfurt am Main (Germany). According to Google, the transmitted data is used exclusively to generate the respective response, is not stored permanently, and is not used for training purposes.

7.5 Legal basis and storage duration

Processing is carried out on the basis of your consent pursuant to Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR, which you give before starting the chat. You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future.

8. Newsletter

8.1 Registration with double opt-in

On this shop's website, you can sign up for our newsletter. Registration takes place using the double opt-in procedure: After entering your email address, you will receive a confirmation email with a confirmation link. Only after clicking the link will you be added to our distribution list.

8.2 What data is processed?

As part of the newsletter registration, we process:

• Your email address

• Confirmation status (Pending / Verified / Unsubscribed)

• Confirmation and unsubscribe token

• Timestamp of registration and confirmation

8.3 Dispatch and technical provision

We handle the technical dispatch of the newsletters via the infrastructure of our platform provider Vinolin. For this purpose, Amazon Web Services EMEA SARL (cf. section 2) is used as a sub-processor. We remain the controller in this regard; Vinolin and AWS are involved exclusively as processors.

8.4 Legal basis and revocation

Processing is carried out on the basis of your consent pursuant to Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR. You can revoke your consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in each newsletter or by sending us a corresponding notification to info@weingut-zelt.de. The legality of the data processing carried out until the revocation remains unaffected by the revocation.

After revocation, your data will be removed from the active newsletter distribution list. We may keep a record of your consent and revocation in order to comply with our burden of proof (Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR — legitimate interest in provability).

09. Currency of this privacy policy

We reserve the right to adapt this privacy policy in the event of significant changes. The current version is available on our website.

Status: 18.06.2026