Protection and respect of your privacy on the WineAlign

The WineAlign appreciates the concerns you may have with respect to the circulation of personal information on the Internet and, with your collaboration, wishes to address these issues. This is why we feel it is important that you fully understand the type of information we collect from you when visiting our Web sites along with its intended use. Please read the following sections carefully. We also strongly suggest that you refer to this section periodically for changes or updates. Please be assured that the WineAlign will not collect any personal information without your prior consent.

The collection and processing of personal information

When?

The collection and processing of personal information takes place under very precise conditions and at specific times. When registering for our various personalized e-mail services, or for participating in online contests, the WineAlign requests that you enter your name, postal address, e-mail and other personal information by filling out an online form. At these very specific times, and prior to entry, the WineAlign will explicitly advise you that the information that you are about to submit will be processed and be subject to a host of data collection practices including saving, storing, editing, detailing, archiving and destruction. The WineAlign also provides, within reasonable limits, means to verify the accuracy and to update your personal information. As well, on certain online forms, the WineAlign asks you if you wish to receive information on other services, contests or news about the WineAlign and its partners. You are always given the option to decline such offers or to end your subscription to a previously requested service.

Why?

The collection of personal information allows the WineAlign to provide services relevant to your needs and, in the event that you win one of our contests, it allows us to reach you. It also allows us to send you, from time to time, requested information by e-mail.

The length of time the WineAlign retains your personal information will vary depending upon the rules and requirements of each individual contest, promotion, or activity.

Who?

It is important to note that the WineAlign will never disclose your personal information with sponsors, advertisers, partners and other clients. Your personal information can only be accessed by the WineAlign. If ever we request information for another purpose, you will be automatically and explicitly informed at the time such information is requested.

We will never disclose any personal information to parties outside of the WineAlign without your explicit prior consent. Furthermore, please be advised that all personal information collected by the WineAlign is stored in server sectors that are inaccessible to the public.

Despite the above, at any time, you may request that the WineAlign end its use or planned use of your personal information.

In summary, the following are the only times at which the WineAlign may disclose your personal information: upon request by a legal authority or in good faith when such action is deemed necessary (a) in order to abide by applicable laws or regulations or to intervene in a lawsuit against the WineAlign; (b) in order to protect or defend the legal or property rights of the WineAlign or those of its users; and (c) to intervene, under extreme circumstances, in order to protect the personal safety of WineAlign users or the safety of the general public.

Opting-out

You can opt-out of providing personal information and from receiving information on WineAlign updates and new services, as well as direct email offers from selected WineAlign partners and sponsors. This is done at the point of initial collection of information and during the editing or updating process. The process to opt out of most WineAlign email materials is the same as the process for updating user information profiles described above.

Be careful!

The WineAlign contains links to third-party Web sites; these are provided solely for your convenience. Clicking on these links will take you outside of the WineAlign. Please be advised that the WineAlign has no control over these third-party sites and, while the WineAlign may feature such links, the WineAlign will not, at any time, accept liability for these sites. Consequently, personal information that you provide to a Web site outside of the WineAlign is subject to the privacy protection policies of the given third-party site. In the event of abuse by such sites, the WineAlign cannot, at any time, be held responsible. Therefore, we strongly urge you to carefully read the privacy protection policies of all third-party sites you choose to enter.

We also wish to inform you that the risks associated with the supplying of personal information in a chat room, via e-mail or on a Web-based message board are not covered by our privacy protection policy; thus, you must be extremely careful if you choose to supply personal information through these means. You are submitting this information at your own risk. Indeed, this information may be collected and used by third parties without your prior consent. In other words, if you choose to provide personal information online and this information is available to the public, you may, eventually, receive unsolicited e-mail from third parties. The WineAlign declines all responsibility in this regard. We urge you to remain cautious and vigilant, at all times, on the Internet.

Security

The WineAlign has set up security measures to protect you from the loss or unauthorized use of your supplied personal information. As well, our WineAlign servers are equipped with firewall technology. Despite these measures, and given that no technology is foolproof, we must advise you that there will always remain a certain amount of risk and that your personal information may be disclosed, without your consent, unintentionally, and without fault on the part of the WineAlign. The WineAlign declines any responsibility in the event that such confidential information is disclosed, unless caused by negligence on the part of the WineAlign.

What is a cookie?

"Cookies" are little bits of information that are sent to your computer when you visit a Web site. They are saved, either temporarily or permanently, on your hard drive, leaving a trace of your passage. The information can include such things as the date and time of your last visit, a given answer to an online question, personal information, etc. Cookies can also enhance your Web experience by recording your navigation preferences for a given Web site.

The use of cookies on the Web has become standard practice. Most Internet browsers will accept them by default. If you so choose, you may, at any time, change your parameters to disallow the use of cookies. However, in doing so, you will be unable to access the full features of certain sites.

It should be noted that the actual cookie files stored on your hard drive are harmless. They may be read and deleted at any time. Thus, you always have complete control.

The use of cookies on the WineAlign

On the one hand, the WineAlign uses cookies to monitor traffic, anonymously, on its Web sites. It allows us to estimate the size of our audience.

Each visitor is assigned a unique cookie that allows us to determine the total number of repeat visits to the WineAlign.

While the information cannot be used to identify a visitor, cookies provide important data for our marketing department. Indeed, this information enables us to inform our sponsors of the total number of visitors for each of our sites and the length of each visit. In turn, it allows our sponsors to estimate or measure the probable or actual impact of their ads. It also allows us to determine our ad rates. While this information helps our sponsors buy ad space, it does not allow them to identify you individually.

On the other hand, the WineAlign uses cookies to offer you personalized services such as speciality content, personalized bulletins, etc. To access these services, the WineAlign asks that you complete an online form, supplying certain personal information along with your online content preferences. Upon registration, and by allowing us to remember your password, a cookie file is created and stored on your computer, enabling us to "recognize" you every time you visit one of our sites.

Personal information collected by the WineAlign is used for the sole purpose of offering you relevant content, tools and advertising based on your indicated preferences, allowing you to make the most of our services each time you visit one of our sites. Your information stays exclusively within the WineAlign and is, at no time, shared with clients, partners, sponsors or other outside parties.

We hope that this information has provided you with a better understanding of our strict privacy protection policies. Please note that the WineAlign reserves the right to modify these policies at any time. Thus, we invite you to periodically consult this section for possible updates and changes.