Terms and Conditions of Service
And Privacy Policy of EPOCH

1. Definitions
Service: the website attributable to "EPOCH", its editorial content, its newsletter, and any product or service, current or future, offered through it.
Owner: the Service is offered and managed by Michele Bottelli, a professional operating under the Italian flat-rate tax scheme (regime forfettario), based at Via Giacomo Leopardi 4, 24127 Bergamo (BG), Italy, VAT number 04802370165, email: info@epochwine.it, certified email (PEC): michele.bottelli@pec.it.
User: any natural or legal person who accesses, browses, or uses the Service.
2. Scope of the Service
EPOCH is an editorial project whose concept pairs a specific wine vintage with the events, culture, and news of that same year. The Service has informational, cultural, and commercial purposes, including the sale of related editorial products and the offering of dedicated editions to professionals in the wine sector.
3. Acceptance of the Terms
Accessing the site and browsing its content constitute acceptance of these Terms and Conditions with respect to the use of the site. Subscribing to the newsletter, submitting a request through the contact forms, and purchasing a product are governed, in addition to these Terms, by their respective specific conditions and by the Privacy Policy. Consents to the processing of data for marketing purposes are given separately and may be withdrawn at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal. A User who does not accept these Terms must refrain from using the Service.
4. Eligibility
Use of the Service is permitted to Users who have the legal capacity to enter into binding contracts under applicable law. Purchases through the Service require the User to be of legal age in their country of residence. The Service is not directed at minors.
5. Acceptable Use
The User agrees to use the Service lawfully and in accordance with these Terms. The following are prohibited: automated extraction of content (scraping, crawling, or data mining) without prior written authorization; reproduction, resale, or systematic redistribution of the content; any conduct that may compromise the security, integrity, or availability of the Service; unauthorized access to systems or areas of the site; and use of the Service for unlawful, defamatory, or fraudulent purposes. The Owner reserves the right to suspend or block access in the event of a breach.
6. Content of the Service and Limitation of Liability
6.1. Nature of the Content. EPOCH's content falls into two main categories:

• Historical and factual content: narratives of historical, political, social, sporting, and news events, based on public domain sources, historical archives, and journalistic material.

• Oenological content (informational and editorial): information on territories, grape varieties, appellations, and producers, together with analyses and descriptions that express the editorial sensibility of the Owner and their collaborators. EPOCH tells the story of each wine in relation to its own historical potential, and assigns no scores, ratings, or comparative rankings among producers.

6.2. Accuracy, Errors, and Omissions. The Owner strives to ensure the highest possible accuracy for historical and factual content, relying on verified sources. Given the breadth of the subject matter, the Owner offers no absolute guarantee as to accuracy, completeness, or the absence of errors and omissions. Information is provided "as is". Any User who identifies an error is invited to report it to info@epochwine.it. The Owner will assess the report and reserves the right, at their sole discretion, to make corrections.
6.3. Disinformation and Editorial Stances. EPOCH is a cultural project and not a political news outlet. The Owner disclaims all liability for interpretations of the content that may be construed as disinformation or as political stances. The narration of historical events serves solely to contextualize the relevant wine vintage and promotes no ideology. Any perception of bias is to be considered unintentional and incidental.
6.4. Right to Criticize. The analyses and editorial descriptions of wines and territories are the legitimate exercise of the right to criticize and to freely express opinion (Article 21 of the Italian Constitution). They represent subjective opinions, based on the experience and sensibility of the author, make no claim to absolute truth, and are in no way intended to harm the image or reputation of the producers mentioned.
7. Intellectual Property and Copyright
7.1. EPOCH Content. All original texts, analyses, graphics, the logo, the design, and the structure of the Service are the exclusive intellectual property of Michele Bottelli, protected by Italian and international copyright law. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or use is prohibited.
7.2. Third-Party Trademarks. The names of wineries, wines, appellations (DOC, DOCG, IGT), and other registered trademarks belonging to third parties are used within the Service solely for descriptive and identifying purposes, in compliance with Article 21 of the Italian Industrial Property Code. Such use implies no affiliation with, or endorsement by, the respective owners.
7.3. Third-Party Material. Any use of third-party copyrighted material (for example, historical photographs or quotations) is made in compliance with applicable law, and only where the material: belongs to the public domain; is covered by a valid licence; or falls within the limits of the right of quotation or reporting (Article 70, Italian Law 633/1941) for purposes of criticism, discussion, or teaching. Any rights holder who believes their material has been used improperly is invited to contact the Owner at info@epochwine.it for review and prompt removal where appropriate.
8. Sale of Products
The Service allows the purchase of EPOCH editorial products. Sales are governed, in addition to this document, by the Conditions of Sale made available at the time of purchase, which set out prices, payment methods, shipping, and warranties.
8.1. Prices and Availability. Prices are shown on the product page and include or exclude taxes and shipping costs as indicated at checkout. Product availability is limited, particularly for numbered editions, and is confirmed at the time the order is accepted.
8.2. Payments. Payments are processed by external providers (for example, Stripe). The User is also subject to the terms of service of those platforms. Payment instrument data is neither processed nor stored by the Owner.
8.3. Right of Withdrawal (Consumers). Consumers within the European Union have the right to withdraw from the purchase within 14 days of receiving the goods, in accordance with the Italian Consumer Code (Legislative Decree 206/2005).
8.4. Exclusion of the Right of Withdrawal for Personalized Products. In accordance with Article 59 of the Italian Consumer Code and Article 16 of Directive 2011/83/EU, the right of withdrawal is excluded for goods made to the consumer's specifications or clearly personalized. This applies to EPOCH editions bearing the customer's name (engraved, foiled, or otherwise personalized) and to any edition produced to individual specifications. This exclusion is brought to the consumer's attention before the order is placed.
8.5. Legal Warranty. Consumers benefit from the legal warranty of conformity provided by applicable law.
9. Third-Party Links and Services
The Service may contain links to third-party websites or platforms (for example, crowdfunding platforms, social networks, or payment providers). The Owner exercises no control over such sites and assumes no liability for their content, availability, or privacy practices. Access to third-party sites is at the User's own risk and is governed by their respective terms.
10. Disclaimer of Warranties
The Service is provided "as is" and "as available". The Owner makes no warranty that the Service will be uninterrupted, error free, secure, or free of harmful components, nor that the content will meet the User's specific expectations. The Owner reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service, in whole or in part, at any time.
11. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Owner shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages, nor for loss of profits, loss of data, or loss of opportunity, arising from the use of, or inability to use, the Service. Where liability cannot be excluded, it is limited to the amount actually paid by the User to the Owner for the product or service giving rise to the claim. Nothing in these Terms limits liability for wilful misconduct, gross negligence, or any liability that cannot be excluded under mandatory law, including the mandatory rights of consumers.
12. Indemnification
The User agrees to hold the Owner harmless from any claim, damage, liability, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising from a breach of these Terms by the User, from unlawful use of the Service, or from the infringement of third-party rights.
13. Changes to the Terms
The Owner reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time. Amendments take effect upon publication on this page, with an updated effective date. Continued use of the Service after publication constitutes acceptance of the amended Terms. For purchases already concluded, the Terms in force at the time of the order continue to apply.
14. Severability and Entire Agreement
Should any provision of these Terms be held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, the Cookie Policy, and the Conditions of Sale, constitute the entire agreement between the User and the Owner regarding the Service.
15. Governing Law, Jurisdiction, and Dispute Resolution
These Terms are governed by Italian law. For consumers, the mandatory jurisdiction of the court of their place of residence or domicile remains unaffected, as do the mandatory protections of the law of their country of habitual residence. For any other dispute, exclusive jurisdiction lies with the Court of Bergamo, Italy. Consumers may also seek resolution through the alternative dispute resolution bodies available under applicable law. Any complaint may first be addressed to the Owner at info@epochwine.it.