Frequently Asked Questions
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Getting Started
I currently track my wine in Excel — is CellarFox actually worth switching to?
If you've ever opened a bottle too early, forgotten what you own, or served wine that didn't match the food, then yes — CellarFox is built exactly for you. Migrating is straightforward, and most collectors tell us they wish they'd switched sooner.
How do I get my existing collection into CellarFox?
You can add bottles manually one by one, scan barcodes or labels directly from the app, or import a CSV file if you're coming from a spreadsheet. We've designed the import flow specifically for Excel refugees, so it's less painful than it sounds.
Do I need to create an account to try CellarFox?
You can explore the interface without signing up, but you'll need a free account to save your collection. Signing up takes about 60 seconds — just an email address, no credit card required.
How long does it take to get my collection set up and useful?
Most collectors with 50–100 bottles have their cellar catalogued and their first drinking recommendations within 30 minutes. The more bottles you add, the smarter and more useful CellarFox becomes over time.
Is CellarFox a mobile app, a web app, or both?
Both. CellarFox works in your browser on desktop and on Android — download the app from Google Play, or open cellarfox.com on any device. iOS is on the roadmap.
Core Features
What does the free tier actually include — is it genuinely useful or just a teaser?
The free tier is a complete collection management tool, not a bait-and-switch. You get full catalogue management, food pairing suggestions, and personalised drinking windows to tell you what to open tonight and what to leave alone — all at no cost, forever.
How does the drinking guidance work? How does CellarFox know when to open a bottle?
CellarFox combines the vintage, producer, and appellation of each bottle with established drinking window data to give you a simple, honest recommendation: drink now, hold, or approaching peak. It's designed to replace the hours of research that currently live in your head or scattered across wine forums.
What is the Vault, and what does it actually show me?
The Vault is CellarFox's bottle-level value tracker, available on the Enthusiast tier. It connects to the Wine-Searcher marketplace to show you the current estimated market value of each bottle in your collection, so you can see your cellar as the asset it actually is.
How accurate is the Vault pricing data?
Vault values are sourced from Wine-Searcher, which aggregates live listings from hundreds of merchants and auction platforms worldwide — it's the same data source used by professional wine traders. Values reflect real-world market prices, not publisher estimates, though like any market they can move and should be treated as informed guidance rather than a formal appraisal.
Pricing & Plans
What does the Enthusiast tier cost, and is there a free trial?
The Enthusiast tier is available as a monthly subscription, an annual subscription, or a one-time lifetime access payment — pricing is visible on our plans page.
I'm wary of yet another monthly subscription. What are my options?
We hear you — that's exactly why we offer lifetime access as an alternative to any recurring plan. Pay once and CellarFox Enthusiast is yours indefinitely, with no renewal anxiety and no bill arriving when you've forgotten you signed up.
What happens to my collection data if I downgrade from Enthusiast to free?
Your entire collection stays safe and fully accessible — you never lose your data. You'll simply lose access to the Vault's valuation features until you upgrade again, and everything will be right where you left it if you do.
Security & Data
Is my collection data private? I'd rather not have my cellar publicly visible.
Your collection is private by default — only you can see it. CellarFox does not share, sell, or expose individual collection data to third parties, and we have no plans to do so.
How is my data stored, and what happens if CellarFox shuts down?
Your data is stored securely on encrypted cloud infrastructure, and you can export your full collection to CSV at any time from your account settings. We want you to feel ownership over your own data, not locked in.
Is my payment information secure?
CellarFox never stores your card details directly — all payments are handled by Stripe, which meets the highest level of PCI compliance certification. We see only a transaction confirmation; your financial information stays with Stripe.
Troubleshooting
I searched for a wine in my collection and CellarFox can't find it — what should I do?
Our wine database is extensive but not exhaustive, especially for small-production or regional bottles. If a wine isn't found automatically, you can add it manually with your own details — everything else, including food pairings and drinking guidance, will still work for that entry.
The Vault isn't showing a value for one of my bottles. Is something wrong?
This usually means Wine-Searcher doesn't have enough current listings for that specific bottle to generate a reliable price — it's more common with everyday drinking wines than with collectible bottles. The rest of your Vault will continue to work normally, and the value may appear as more market data becomes available.
The app seems slow or something isn't loading correctly. What should I try first?
A hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows, Cmd+Shift+R on Mac) clears most loading issues instantly. If the problem persists, try a different browser or check our status page — and if you're still stuck, drop us a message at support@cellarfox.com and we'll get back to you quickly.