Two nights in Sweden's own winery: The Winery Hotel, Solna

Ask most people to picture a winery and Sweden will not be the country that comes to mind. Which is exactly why The Winery in Solna, roughly 10 km from Stockholm Central, is such a surprising place to spend a couple of days. It is a working urban winery and a boutique hotel in one building, said to be the first of its kind in Sweden, and possibly in the world. I stayed for two nights during a trip to Stockholm and met plenty of other guests who had come for nothing more than a quiet break. Here is how the place came about and what it is like inside.

Wine made ten kilometres from the city centre

The project began with two families, the Söders and the Ruhnes, and their wish to share the craft of making wine. Grapes are brought in from their own vineyards in Tuscany, and the result is around 8,000 bottles a year of their signature red, Winery Red. A sommelier leads guided tours of the winery for anyone who wants to see how it all works, from barrel to bottle. The cellars also hold one of Sweden's largest collections of wines from around the world, and parts of that collection are open to guests through the tasting sessions.

A building that behaves like a vineyard

Classic wine estates informed the design, though the outside is deliberately industrial. Climb the stairs to your room and you pass enormous oak barrels, and these are not decoration: wine is ageing inside them. At reception, a glass wall lets you see the big steel tanks. I learned later that the hotel holds Green Key certification, which means a serious environmental programme sits behind the scenes.

The fifth-floor room

My room was on the fifth floor, and the first things I noticed were the coffee machine and a plate of sweet treats. Swedish coffee turned out to be a small obsession of mine that week; I would happily have taken a supply home. There were wine books and magazines to leaf through, and the room came with wifi, a television, a safe, a minibar, a hairdryer, a bathrobe and slippers.

The decoration carries the theme without shouting about it: exposed brick, a deep grape-green, very large windows. The rooftop pool, bar and gym are one floor above, which made a morning swim easy and meant the gym went unused, as I had always suspected it would. Breakfast can be added to your booking, though some rates include it.

Eating, drinking and the Vinotek card

Food leans Italian with local ingredients. The Terreno Deli sells a selection of products to take away, and the Winery Kitchen builds dishes around the wines. On Sundays there is an Italian buffet brunch inspired by Tuscany, which needs to be reserved in advance.

The clever part is the prepaid card used at the Vinotek. You load credit onto it, then help yourself from the wine dispensers, choosing whatever and however much you fancy. The card is charged according to the size of glass you pour, which makes trying something unfamiliar a low-risk business.

Evenings on the roof

The rooftop is where guests end up talking to each other. I liked beginning the day with a swim, but the better use of it is probably a sunset dip with a drink and something small to eat. Oak barrels do duty as tables up there. Two things to plan around: the rooftop pool and bar operate in spring and summer only, and the pool may close in winter when temperatures drop very low.

Getting there and looking around

Stockholm has four airports; from Arlanda, the airport bus (Flygbussarna) drops you at the Järva Krog stop. Coming from the city, take the train to Solna and then a bus.

The hotel sits close to Friends Arena, which stages large concerts and sporting events, and to the Mall of Scandinavia, described as the biggest shopping centre in Scandinavia. For a quieter hour, walk to the Bergius Botanic Garden or to Haga Park, which forms part of the Royal National City Park. The garden centre near Ulriksdal Palace is a good spot for an afternoon meal or a cup of tea.

Making a trip of it

My suggestion is to set aside a day or two purely for The Winery, then use the rest of your time on Stockholm itself and the archipelago. Staying there while sightseeing is possible, but the winery tours, the tasting and the pool all need room in the schedule. A Stockholm Pass covers public transport and entry to a number of museums and sights.

Boats make island hopping simple, whether to Vaxholm, Roslagen or Nasslingen, a small private island that suits food, wellness and long views. You could also spend a day or two beyond the archipelago, visiting Linkoping and the Gota Kanal for a dose of old Sweden. If photography and art are your interests, the Fotografiska Museum deserves an afternoon. There are more ideas in this guide to things to do in Stockholm.

Food is a reason to come in itself, and vegetarians are well looked after; some of the best salads of my trip were in Sweden. For a wider picture, see this guide to vegetarian food in 24 European countries, Sweden included.

My stay was hosted by The Winery Hotel, and I would happily go back in summer to see the roof at its best.