Staying at Craggy Range's Sauvignon Blanc Cottage, Havelock North

Craggy Range's Giants Winery.

Helen van Berkel stays at a Hawke's Bay cottage that offers both sunrise and sunset views.

The check-in experience: This is a working vineyard/winery so it took me a while to work out where to go to get the key.

Price: $370-$420 for one- or two-bedroom cottages, depending on the season, set among the vines of Craggy Range's Giants Winery.

The accommodation: A two-bedroom, two-bathroom cottage set in rows of vines pruned to the bones for winter. It's designed to offer sunrise views over Craggy Range on one side and sunset views over Te Mata Peak on the other. It's clad in corrugated iron to give it the look of a cowshed. If this is how a cow lives, I want to be reincarnated as a cow.

The facilities: A fully stocked wood basket was provided should I want to light the cosy range. I liked the idea of a cosy little fire, but the pull of the open fire and menu in the Terroir Restaurant a short walk away was too much.

Food and drink: Tea and coffee, juice and, in a nice touch, natural non-pasteurised milk. Breakfast condiments included a delicious smelling loaf of bread I couldn't bring myself to slice into just for one piece of toast, to my everlasting regret. And Craggy Range wines were provided for sale.

Toiletries: Body Therapy soap, shampoo and conditioner, body lotion and body wash.

The Sauvignon Blanc cottage at Craggy Range winery.

In the neighbourhood: Imposing Te Mata peak is directly across the road and the vineyard is working with local landowners to provide access from this side of the peak. And of course there's the Giants Winery and the terrific Terroir Restaurant, all set in the quite lovely Tukituki River valley.

Would I stay again? This is top of the list for my next romantic weekend away.

CHECKLIST

Craggy Range's cottages are at 253 Waimarama Road, Havelock North.