Ditch the klippies-and-coke perception in favour of a local pot-stilled brandy smoothly blazing a name for itself in Wellington - if you do, you'll quickly come to understand the allure of the old-boys' club.

Savingnac is our very own version of fine French Cognac. We all know the French are territorial, so the name denotes its local pride: SA-, a product of the vine, VIN-, that is 100 percent pure and Guaranteed Naturally Aged in Cask, -GNAC. Sa-vin-gnac!

But savouring it isn't confined to rooms lined with first editions, leather ball-and-claw chairs and swirls of Cuban cigar smoke. I can safely say, after a tasting conducted by Ralph Jorgensen at Savingnac der Versailles in this little Winelands town, you'll want to make it a regular treat.

Timing is everything
Appearances can be very deceiving, as is the case with Savingnac de Versailles. The construction boom is evident along Route62 and especially so in Wellington. We almost missed the tasting altogether as the place proved quite difficult to find. Expecting a wine farm, a turn directly off the town's main road seemed odd. Going in circles is no fun!

It was at this point when Ralph, vineyard owner and creator of Savingnac, told us to stay put as he would come and collect us. And this is precisely the attention you'll receive during the tasting, and what I imagine to be the care imbibed during the distillation and preparation of his brandy - the oldest of which is now 12-years-old.

Clearly traces of his distilling Cognac mentorship with Robert Leaute of Remy Martin and Buks Venter of KWV.

After following Ralph through a construction site of sorts we finally arrive. Walking through the Jorgensen home is like walking through 'stargate'. On the other side, or in this case at the back of the veranda, is a sprawling farm with rows and rows of vines; and a river to boot. A totally unexpected setting just a few metres from the town. When heading down there don't be misled, you're probably on the right track.

Chic and oh so palatable
Savingnac loves body heat I soon discovered. Ralph's daughter gracefully filled our snifters with some of the five-year-old tipple and it was intriguing to watch the glass mist up as I cupped it in my hand.
Birthed in 1994, Savingnac has a rich history laced with a struggle all its own. Back in the 70s distilling brandy was made illegal, unless you had the proper licensing - such as the bigger companies, KWV and distillers.

"This inevitably robbed individual South Africans of the ability to create fine, well-aged brandy," says Ralph. Irrevocably placing the industry at a disadvantage, really good brandy needs nothing but time. Wellington is home to five private distillers and it was these bold individuals who initiated the rights to start producing what we were now sampling.

These five distillers also form part of Wellington's ever-popular Brandy Route. Ralph and his wife Dawn are the perfect duo to arrange your wine tour to include this route - but the personal Savingnac tasting is a must, whether you're a connoisseur or a beginner like me.

Its complexity and depth defies its smoothness
Swirling the balloon glass may seem snooty if you don't know what you're looking for. But it's not long before orange, cinnamon, vanilla, cedar and sandalwood start popping out. Complex aromas all adding to its warmth.

Sipping it slowly, I almost instinctively expect it to knock my breath away. But it doesn't. Although its oak incubation leaves a 70 percent pure spirit, Savingnac is tamed down to 38 percent with rain water from the Limietberg. Hard to imagine that nothing else, other than yeast is added to the original wine used to distil this brandy. Click here for the gallery.

But then again the very idea of drinking brandy straight-up seemed a bit daunting and hard to fathom to me at first. I knew people did it but couldn't really understand why - until I tasted it for myself. When it's this smooth, the secret is in sipping it slowly, reiterates Ralph. A generous tot should keep you company for the better part of the evening.

Since returning home, we've toasted crispy cold evening with its amber glow, a hot toddy for a bout of flu might have been extravagant but it definitely spiced up a peanut butter sates sauce.

I may be heading back to Wellington sooner than expected.

Want to savour some Savingnac of your own, check out our Winelands packages.