Terms of Use

Last updated: April 2026

Preamble

These Terms of Use govern access to and use of the website www.grandcruandetiquette.com (the "Site"), operated by Grand Cru & Etiquette ("GC&E", "we", "us").

GC&E is a private advisory practice and independent media founded in Paris in 2025, specialising in wine, cultural intelligence and professional distinction. The Site serves as the editorial and commercial platform for GC&E's activities, which include the publication of essays and analyses, the delivery of private advisory engagements, the sale of digital and physical publications, and the administration of a paid membership programme.

By accessing or using the Site, you accept these Terms of Use in full. If you do not accept them, please discontinue your use of the Site immediately.

These Terms of Use are governed by French law and are written in English as a courtesy to our international audience. In the event of any ambiguity, the intent of the French legal framework shall prevail.

1. Legal Information

  • Publisher: Grand Cru & Etiquette (GC&E) 60 rue François 1er 75008 Paris, France Contact: via the Contact section of the Site

  • Hosting: The Site is hosted by Squarespace Inc., 225 Varick Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10014, United States.

  • Editorial Director and Founder: Maria Kumessa

2. Nature of the Site and Services Offered

The Site provides access to the following activities, each governed by specific conditions detailed below or in separate contractual documents:

  • 2.1 Editorial content (free access): The Journal section of the Site publishes articles, essays, analyses and commentary on wine, cultural intelligence, French professional culture and related subjects. This content is provided free of charge and is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute professional advice of any kind — financial, legal, medical or otherwise.

  • 2.2 Private advisory engagement: GC&E offers a bespoke one-to-one advisory service for international executives and senior professionals. This engagement is conducted by private arrangement following a discovery conversation, and is formalised through a separate written agreement. The terms of that engagement — including scope, duration, pricing and confidentiality — are set out in the individual agreement, which takes precedence over these Terms of Use in all matters relating to the advisory service.

  • 2.3 Membership: GC&E operates a paid membership programme providing access to exclusive editorial content, curated selections and invitations to private events. Membership is subject to the specific terms set out in Section 6 of these Terms of Use.

  • 2.4 Publications: GC&E offers physical and digital publications for purchase through the Site. The sale of these publications is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Sale published separately on the Site, which govern payment, delivery, returns and related matters.

3. Conditions of Access

Access to the free editorial content of the Site is open to all users with an internet connection. Access to paid services — the membership programme and publications — requires the creation of a user account and completion of the applicable purchase process.

Users accessing content related to wine and alcoholic beverages confirm, by continuing to use the Site, that they are of legal drinking age in their country of residence. In France and the European Union, this is 18 years of age.

By using the Site, you agree to:

  • use the Site lawfully, in good faith, and in a manner consistent with its stated purpose;

  • not reproduce, distribute, modify or commercially exploit any content published on the Site without prior written authorisation from GC&E;

  • not engage in any conduct that interferes with the operation of the Site, including but not limited to hacking, scraping, spamming or the introduction of malicious code;

  • not use the Site to collect data about other users or to conduct unsolicited commercial communications.

GC&E reserves the right to suspend or permanently restrict access for any user who violates these conditions, without prior notice and without liability.

4. Intellectual Property

All content published on the Site — including but not limited to essays, analyses, commentary, visual identity, graphic elements, the GC&E name and logo — is the exclusive intellectual property of Grand Cru & Etiquette and is protected under French and international copyright law (Code de la propriété intellectuelle).

The following uses are expressly prohibited without prior written consent from GC&E:

  • reproduction in whole or in part of any editorial content, whether in print or digital form;

  • translation, adaptation or derivative works based on Site content;

  • commercial use of any element of the GC&E visual identity;

  • systematic extraction of content for training artificial intelligence models or similar automated systems.

Brief quotations for journalistic, academic or non-commercial purposes are permitted, provided the source is clearly attributed as follows: Grand Cru & Etiquette, www.grandcruandetiquette.com, with a link to the original publication where technically possible.

For any authorisation request — including press reproduction, academic citation or collaboration — please contact us through the Contact section of the Site.

5. Editorial Content — Scope and Limitations

The articles, essays and analyses published in the Site, the GC&E newsletter, and the GC&E review represent the editorial judgement and personal perspective of GC&E and its contributors. They are published for informational and reflective purposes and do not constitute:

  • financial or investment advice. In particular, any discussion of wine as an asset class is analytical in nature and does not constitute a recommendation to invest in fine wine or related instruments;

  • legal advice of any kind;

  • medical or dietary advice;

  • a solicitation to purchase any specific product or service mentioned in the text.

GC&E makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of factual information and the integrity of sources cited. However, we do not warrant the completeness, timeliness or fitness for any particular purpose of the information published. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently before acting upon it.

External sources linked within editorial content are selected for their relevance and quality at the time of publication. GC&E is not responsible for the accuracy or continued availability of third-party content.

6. Membership: Specific Terms

  • 6.1 Nature of the membership: The GC&E membership provides access to exclusive content and benefits as described on the membership page of the Site. Membership confers a personal, non-transferable right of access. It does not confer any ownership interest in GC&E content, nor any right to reproduce or distribute content beyond personal use.

  • 6.2 Subscription and payment: Membership subscriptions are offered on a monthly or annual basis at the rates published on the Site at the time of purchase. Payment is processed through a third-party payment provider. By subscribing, you authorise recurring charges at the frequency applicable to your chosen plan.

  • GC&E reserves the right to modify membership pricing with a minimum of 30 days' prior notice to active members. Continued use of the membership following a price change constitutes acceptance of the new pricing.

  • 6.3 Cancellation: Monthly memberships may be cancelled at any time, with effect from the end of the current billing period. Annual memberships may be cancelled at any time; no refund is issued for the unused portion of the annual term unless cancellation occurs within 14 days of the initial subscription date (right of withdrawal under French consumer law — see Section 9).

  • 6.4 Access to content: Upon cancellation, access to member-exclusive content ceases at the end of the paid period. Content accessed during the membership period remains subject to the intellectual property restrictions set out in Section 4.

  • 6.5 Event invitations: Annual members receive an invitation to the GC&E annual private event in Paris. Attendance is subject to availability and is not guaranteed. GC&E reserves the right to modify the format, date or location of the event with reasonable notice. No refund or compensation is offered in the event of a change to event arrangements where the annual membership fee remains otherwise fulfilled.

  • 6.6 Admission: GC&E reserves the right to decline any membership application without providing reasons. Membership is offered at GC&E's sole discretion and is not available as of right.

7. Limitation of Liability

The Site and its content are provided in good faith and to the best of GC&E's ability, but are offered without warranty of any kind, express or implied.

GC&E shall not be liable for:

  • any inaccuracy, error or omission in the editorial content published on the Site;

  • any interruption, suspension or malfunction of the Site, for whatever reason;

  • any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damage arising from the use of, or inability to use, the Site or any content published thereon;

  • the content, availability or practices of any third-party website linked from the Site.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, GC&E's total liability to any user in connection with these Terms of Use shall not exceed the amount paid by that user to GC&E in the twelve months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

Nothing in these Terms of Use limits GC&E's liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other matter that cannot be excluded by law.

8. Personal Data

GC&E collects and processes personal data in compliance with the following applicable regulations:

  • Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) — European Union, including France

  • UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 — United Kingdom

  • California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) — United States (California residents)

  • PIPEDA — Canada

  • Privacy Act 1988 — Australia

The categories of data collected, the purposes of processing, the retention periods, your rights as a data subject, and the procedures for exercising those rights are described in full in the Privacy Policy published separately on the Site.

For any request relating to your personal data — including access, rectification, erasure or portability — please use the Contact section of the Site.

9. Right of Withdrawal (Consumers in the European Union)

In accordance with French law (Articles L.221-18 et seq. of the Code de la consommation), consumers resident in France and the European Union have the right to withdraw from any purchase made on the Site within 14 calendar days of the date of purchase, without providing reasons and without penalty.

This right applies to:

  • digital publications, provided the download or access has not yet been initiated;

  • membership subscriptions, within 14 days of the initial subscription date.

This right does not apply once a digital product has been downloaded or accessed, or once a membership has been used to access exclusive content, subject to the user having expressly waived their withdrawal right at the time of purchase.

To exercise this right, please contact GC&E via the Contact section of the Site within the applicable period, clearly stating your intention to withdraw and the order reference.

10. Affiliate Links and Commercial Relationships

Certain editorial content on the Site contains affiliate links. When a purchase is made through such a link, GC&E may receive a commission from the relevant retailer, at no additional cost to the purchaser. The existence of an affiliate relationship does not influence GC&E's editorial judgement; recommendations are made solely on the basis of relevance and quality.

All affiliate relationships are disclosed in accordance with applicable law, including the requirements of the French Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes (DGCCRF).

GC&E does not sell alcoholic beverages and is not a licensed retailer or distributor of wine or spirits. Any purchase of wine or related products made through a link on this Site is a transaction between the user and the relevant third-party retailer, governed by that retailer's own terms and conditions. GC&E accepts no responsibility for such transactions.

11. Modifications

GC&E reserves the right to modify these Terms of Use at any time. Any modification will be published on this page with an updated date. Users will be notified of material changes by a notice on the Site or by email where an address has been provided.

Continued use of the Site following the publication of a modification constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms of Use.

12. Applicable Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms of Use are governed in all respects by French law.

In the event of a dispute arising from or relating to these Terms of Use, the parties agree to seek an amicable resolution in the first instance. Failing resolution within 30 days, the competent courts shall be those of Paris, France, unless mandatory consumer protection law in the user's country of residence provides otherwise.

Users resident in the European Union also have access to the European Commission's online dispute resolution platform: https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr

13. Contact

For any question relating to these Terms of Use, or to exercise any right referred to herein, please contact GC&E through the Contact section of the Site at www.grandcruandetiquette.com/contact