Function–Beauty–Style!
We Help You Create Stunning Outdoor Settings
Winery Shade Solutions
Inviting Your Guests To Linger
Sonoma & Napa County Winery Industry's
First Choice for Providing Shade Solutions
When it comes to outdoor activities in the Wine Country, you’ve heard us say it countless times before, provide enough shade during the day, or you’ll watch your guests chasing it, and provide a source of warmth after the sun sets. Our Mediterranean climate is characterized by blistering hot days and cool evenings. Our dry heat means as long as shade is provided, your guests will be comfortable and will stay and continue their winery experience.
We have heard many anecdotal stories from both winery staff and customers telling us of guests at wineries being hit by flying umbrellas when a surprise gust of wind comes from nowhere. This is a completely avoidable liability risk.
Villa Terrazza has been providing commercial shade solutions to wineries since our inception in 2005. While we have a wide suite of shade products we can offer, our conversation normally begins with TUUCI umbrellas. TUUCI products are manufactured with love right in Miami, Florida. Dougan Clarke began his career repairing umbrellas for a large patio furniture retailer, he noticed they all kept breaking in the same places, and he finally redesigned the patio umbrella and TUUCI, The Ultimate Umbrella Co. Inc. was born.
Outdoor spaces can be a place to continue your winery's brand story. Screen printing your logo on the canopy of umbrellas in use at your winery is a great way to reinforce brand awareness, and a well-designed logo increases the Cool Factor.
In our opinion, any umbrella considered for commercial use needs to have certain criteria:
- Component-replaceable parts
- Marine-grade Sunbrella™ canopy
- Heavy-duty mast
- Many sizes and finish options
- In-ground mount options
- Many choices of shapes
- Logo printing available
TUUCI Oceanmaster umbrellas click all the boxes. They are rated for up to 40 MPH wind gusts, are very strong, and they look great. TUCCI has a wide variety of architecturally significant shapes available and have both traditional and cutting-edge contemporary styles. For larger space coverage, TUUCI offers its MAX series, which include the cantilever family of umbrellas as well as center mast umbrellas up to 18’ in diameter. TUUCI offers a whole range of both portable bases as well as in-ground mounts that anchor the umbrellas to the ground.
Commercial Umbrellas Built for Durability, Strength & Windy Conditions
Umbrellas and shade structures used in wineries or public spaces need to perform to a different standard than standard patio umbrellas. People may have been drinking, kids may be hanging from and twirling around the mast, no one is watching out for wind events. There are liability risks in commercial spaces that don’t typically exist in a residential backyard. Therefore, it's imperative that umbrellas selected for wineries are not chosen only to provide shade to your guests but also with an eye toward liability mitigation.
Winery patios can be very windy places. Typically surrounded by vineyards, open spaces, and varied terrain, they are microclimates in themselves. This microclimate may be great for the grapes being grown, but if there are umbrellas flying around the patio that can be very bad for business! You want to get the umbrellas right…
Wind-Resistant commercial patio umbrellas typically have a 1-piece mast. The joint in a 2-part umbrella mast is one of its weak links. It seems that the ability to ship an umbrella in a small box via UPS or FedEx has dictated recent umbrella design to the detriment of durability. For winery use, look for a thick-gauge mast wall thickness, such as TUUCI’s ArmorWall™ aircraft-grade aluminum mast construction, which is thicker than the tubing used by other manufacturers. This results in a stiffer umbrella, able to withstand higher wind gusts than other patio umbrellas.
Another difference in commercial outdoor umbrellas is the canopy. Some of the most durable fabrics can be found in the harbor, protecting brightwork on yachts and shading guests and crew under cover. Invariably the fabrics used for boat canvas are Sunbrella Marine-grade Performance fabrics. The same fabric should also be used on any umbrella canopy worth it's salt. Marine-grade Sunbrella, also known as ‘Awning Grade’ is a heavier, stiffer fabric that does not lend itself well to cushions or pillows, it’s too stiff, but is perfect for the dimensional stability required by larger umbrellas. Additionally, the thread used makes a difference! Outdoor patio umbrellas need to be sewn with Gore Industries, as in Gore-Tex, thread, which is not affected by UV.
How many wineries have you been at where you saw an umbrella with a rib tip sticking through the canopy edge, or a bent rib making the umbrella asymmetrical? In-use damaged umbrellas make a statement about the business they represent that they probably do not intend to make! Invest in umbrellas that can take abuse. TUUCI canopies are sewn to resist wear-and-tear. Their proprietary ‘ballistic pocket’ is double sewn to ensure the rib does not wear thru it.
Commercial-Use Umbrella Bases
Commercial umbrellas need heavy, sturdy, moveable umbrella bases to hold them in place. Umbrella bases come in many different styles and shapes. Steel plates, cast Iron, concrete, aluminum filled with concrete – each type has its place. Some umbrella bases have wheels and are very portable. Others, like under a dining table, don’t need wheels because they will rarely be moved.
In some cases, the umbrella base is a standalone item, manufactured with only incidental thought to the umbrella that might be placed into it. In other cases, like TUUCI Shade Anchors, the umbrella and the base have been engineered to work together as a system; in these cases, the function of the base depends on the correct umbrella being paired with it for the whole shade solution to work correctly. Then, there are the in-ground solutions that allow for secure anchoring of the umbrella without the tripping hazard of a standard umbrella base yet provide for ready removal so the space can be re-configured. These types of systems are especially popular for wineries and other locations where the bulk and unsightliness of a large umbrella base are to be eliminated.
All things being equal, the larger the umbrella, the heavier the base should be, unless using an in-ground mount. In general, if you compare two umbrella bases of the same weight, the one with a larger footprint will be more resistant to tipping than the smaller one. However, this size tradeoff comes into play because the larger the base, the easier it may be to trip over it, or the more it will affect where furniture under it can be placed.
If in-ground mounts are impractical, then be sure to overcompensate with extra-heavy bases. If the umbrellas need to be moved, then a portable umbrella base with wheels will be required. The TUUCI ACF base weighs 150 lbs. and has wheels molded into the shroud. It's easy to move, especially when there is a heavy-duty TUUCI umbrella in it. The umbrella’s one-piece mast acts like a giant lever to pull the base sideways onto its wheels and allow even a petite person to easily move the umbrella. In all cases, it's very important to secure the umbrella into the base via the locking system provided.
With a wide variety of size options, shapes, frame finishes, and books of marine-grade fabric choices, we have the solution for your outdoor shade. Visit Villa Terrazza today to see the many shade options available to you. Our team of shade experts will ensure your winery outdoor spaces have shade, and the shade solution is durable and has great style.
Visit Sonoma & See Our Amazing Winery Shade Solutions
Villa Terrazza helps wineries shade their outdoor public spaces with complete design solutions right down to the smallest detail. We’re here to collaborate with you to create your guest's outdoor haven, and to honor your brand with quality shade solutions that reflect your brand story.
Our design team has done it all when it comes to umbrellas, from a simple 6’ market umbrella in a bistro table to a series of Cantilever umbrellas lined up to shade a tasting room’s patio. If you want anything from a simple patio dining set with an umbrella to a massive installation consisting of outdoor sectionals, outdoor dining sets, and umbrellas to shade it all, we can make it happen.
Give us a call, come visit our Villa Terrazza showroom in Sonoma, and see one of the most extensive selections of innovative shade solutions in the Bay Area. Bring pictures or blueprints of your spaces; we’ll collaborate with you for another success. We’re Furnishing Your Escape™!
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