Privacy Policy

Last updated: 7/29/2026

Who We Are

Thirsty and Wise (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website thirstyandwise.com (the “Site”), offering wine education products including WSET study materials, flashcards, and related digital and physical goods. Our business is operated by Thirsty and Wise LLC.

If you have questions about this policy or how we handle your data, contact us at: Email: info@thirstyandwise.com

What Personal Data We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal data:

Account and order data When you make a purchase or create an account, we collect your name, email address, billing and shipping address, phone number (if provided), and order history, including items purchased and payment status.

Payment information Payment details (such as card numbers) are collected and processed directly by our payment processor Stripe. We do not store full payment card details on our servers.

Communications and marketing data If you sign up for our email list, contact us via a form, or interact with a marketing offer, we collect your email address and any other information you provide, so we can respond to you or send you marketing communications (only with your consent, where required).

Comments If you leave a comment on the Site, we collect the content of the comment, your IP address, and browser user agent string to help with spam detection. An anonymized hash of your email address may be shared with Gravatar to check if you have a Gravatar profile — see Gravatar’s privacy policy.

Automatically collected data (cookies and tracking technologies) When you browse the Site, we and our third-party partners automatically collect technical and behavioral data via cookies and similar technologies, including your IP address, browser type, device information, pages viewed, and referring URLs. See “Cookies and Tracking Technologies” below for details on the specific tools we use.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use the following tools, which may set cookies or collect data about your visit:

Google Analytics (GA4) — helps us understand how visitors use the Site (pages visited, time on site, general location).
Google Tag Manager (GTM) — manages the deployment of tracking tags on the Site, including those listed here.
Google Ads — used to measure the effectiveness of our advertising and to show you relevant ads on Google’s network.
Google Merchant Center — used to list our products in Google Shopping and related surfaces; product and, where applicable, order data may be shared with Google for this purpose.
Meta Pixel (Facebook/Instagram) — helps us measure the effectiveness of our advertising on Meta platforms and show you relevant ads based on your activity on our Site.
Email marketing platform – Kit and Mailchimp

These tools may set their own cookies and collect data independently, governed by their own privacy policies:

Standard WordPress cookies:

If you log in, we set cookies to keep you logged in and remember your display preferences (login cookies last 2 days, or 2 weeks with “Remember Me”; screen option cookies last 1 year).
If you leave a comment, you may opt in to having your name, email, and website saved in a cookie for convenience on future comments (lasts 1 year).

Why We Collect and Use Your Data

We use your personal data to:

Process and fulfill your orders, including payment, shipping (if applicable), and customer support
Communicate with you about your orders, account, or inquiries
Send you marketing communications, where you have opted in, and which you may unsubscribe from at any time
Improve our Site, products, and services through analytics
Show you relevant advertising and measure the performance of our ad campaigns on Google and Meta platforms
Detect and prevent fraud, spam, and abuse
Comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax and accounting records)

Legal Basis for Processing (for visitors in the EU/EEA/UK)

Where GDPR applies, we rely on the following legal bases:

Contract — to process your orders and provide the products/services you purchase
Consent — for marketing communications and non-essential cookies (analytics, advertising)
Legitimate interests — for fraud prevention, Site security, and improving our services
Legal obligation — for tax, accounting, and other regulatory requirements

Who We Share Your Data With

We share personal data with the following categories of third parties, only as needed to operate our business:

Payment processors — to process transactions: Stripe
Shipping/fulfillment providers — if applicable, to deliver physical products
Google (Analytics, Ads, Tag Manager, Merchant Center) — for analytics, advertising, and product listings, as described above
Meta (Facebook/Instagram) — for advertising and Shop functionality, as described above
Website hosting and technical service providers — including our WordPress/WooCommerce hosting provider and, where necessary for troubleshooting or support, WooCommerce/plugin support teams, who may be granted temporary, limited administrative access to our Site to resolve technical issues. Such access is time-limited and revoked once the issue is resolved.
Email/marketing platform, if used — Kit and Mailchimp
Legal and regulatory authorities — where required by law

We do not sell your personal data.

How Long We Retain Your Data

Order and account data is retained for as long as necessary to fulfill orders, meet legal/tax obligations, and resolve disputes, and is typically kept for 7 years for financial records.
Comments and their metadata are retained indefinitely so we can recognize and approve follow-up comments automatically.
Marketing data (e.g., email list) is retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
Analytics and advertising cookie data is retained according to the retention settings of the respective third-party tool (e.g., Google Analytics’ default retention periods).

Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you
Correct inaccurate data
Delete your personal data (subject to legal/administrative exceptions)
Export your data in a portable format
Object to or restrict certain processing (e.g., marketing)
Withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent

To exercise these rights, contact us at info@thirstyandwise.com. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

If you are in the EU/EEA/UK and believe we have not addressed your concern, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Where Your Data Is Sent

Some of the third-party tools listed above (Google, Meta, and our hosting/payment providers) may process or store data outside your country of residence, including in the United States. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) for such transfers.

Children’s Privacy

Our Site and products are not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent changes. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, contact us at: info@thirstyandwise.com

Thirsty and Wise LLC

66 W Flagler St Suite 900, 33130 Miami, FL