Margaret River’s Vinaceous Voodoo Moon Malbec Makes You Howl for Blue Cheese Burgers on the Barbie #WorldWineTravel

Voodoo Moon and Blue cheese burger

The Old Farmer’s Almanac says January’s full Moon is called the Wolf Moon because wolves could be heard howling in winter to define their territory, locate their pack members, reinforce their social bonds, and coordinate their hunting. Assiniboine people of the Northern Great Plains call the January full moon Center Moon  because it marks the middle of the winter cold. Along the same lines, the Cree call it Cold Moon or Frost Exploding Moon, Algonquin refer to it as Freeze Up Moon, and the Dakotas say it’s the  Severe Moon or the Hard Moon which means fresh fallen snow on the hard crust of older snow. Other records show: Canada Goose Moon (Tlingit), Great Moon (Cree), Greetings Moon (Western Abenaki), and Spirit Moon (Ojibwe).

Voodoo Moon and Blue cheese

And now we also have “Voodoo Moon”! Of course in Western Australia, where Voodoo Moon comes from, it’s the middle of summer, and not cold at all! Under a brightly lit sky, Marshall grilled us the “ultimate burger” blend from Main Street Meats in Ventura which we served with a hearty helping of arugula plus sweet potato oven chips to pair with this Western Australian wine from Margaret River’s Vinaceous Wines “Voodoo Moon Malbec.”

But the HUGE Western Australia region’s far west coast is making some very fine wine as well: while it grows only three percent of total Australian grape production, it contributes 20 percent of Australia’s premium wine market. Margaret River is one of the better known (and beautiful!) areas growing about an even 50-50 split of reds and whites with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and even Malbec which is what we have for you today as the World Wine Travel group of wine writers tackles Oceania in 2022 starting with Western Australia (scroll down to see the list of topics for each month below).
With 5,017 hectares of vineyards and 215 wineries in 2012 located on the far west of Western Australia, Margaret River has the most maritime-influenced climate than any other major Australian region, one that is actually remarkably similar to Bordeaux with the lowest mean annual temperature range, and with rainfall similar to a Mediterranean climate with 200 millimeters of the annual 1,160 millimeters coming in the winter months of October and April. No wonder Malbec, a component of Bordeaux blends, is doing so well there.

Taking a ‘holistic approach,’ Vinacious uses organic principles and practices but is not certified. They see soil and plant health as a natural deterrent to pest and disease, and they use “mineral based fertiliser that is microbially seeded and spread as required. During the warm summer months liquid kelp is used as a conditioner to maintain leaf health so important during the final ripening phase. We always use a very soft fungicide program and rely on organically approved sulfurs and copper, as the backbone of our programs, used in conjunction with canopy manipulation to reduce the incidence of pests and disease.”

In addition to Voodoo Moon Malbec, from Western Australia Vinaceous produces:

  • DIVINE LIGHT Sauvignon Blanc,
  • SHAKRE Chardonnay,
  • SALOME Tempranillo Rose,
  • RED RIGHT HAND Shiraz Grenache Tempranillo,
  • RACONTEUR Cabernet Sauvignon

Voodoo Moon

2017  Vinaceous Voodoo Moon  Malbec, Margaret River, Western Australia

ABV 14.5%

SRP under $20

sample for my review

THEY SAY: Sourced from a single vineyard in the sub-region of Wilyabrup, Margaret River from mature vines, the Voodoo Moon used traditional winemaking techniques to achieve full colour and extraction.

The current vintage available is the 2019; 1287 dozen bottles were produced.

Color: Dense and dark plum, the color sticks to the rim of the glass, blood red, fushia rim,

Nose: Fresh ripe blueberries, as if you have spent the morning picking blueberries, the dampness and the earth, sweet fragrent  roses,

Palate: Tart fruit and grippy tannins, very dry, bright acidity, lots of minerals, classic warm climate Malbec. This is not a sipping wine, but is going to be great with food.

Pairing: Think of a blue cheese burger, BBQ food, this is a perfect BBQ wine. Aged gouda was great, Camembert is a bit gummy, but good with the wine as the wine cleanses the palate and the flavors go nicely together. The go to cheese with this wine is the blue cheese. The cheese tames the big tannins in the wine, and brings out bright fruit. It cuts the richness of the cheese perfectly leaving the rich fruit and cleansing minerals for a perfect finish.

On a subsequent evening, I paired it with smoked ham, and I was surprised by how well it worked and how long the wine held up after being opened.

Read on Wine Predator about another wine from Western Australia, 2016 Howard Park “Miamup” Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon, Margaret River, which, while uncertified, uses organic, biodynamic, and regenerative agricultural practices. We paired this wine with a vegetarian meal.

Read more about wines from Western Australia from members of the World Wine Travel group:

You’re invited to join our 8am Pacific twitter chat on the topic where we will be discussing the following:

  • 8a – Q1 Welcome to the first #WorldWineTravelchat of 2022! From where are you tweeting ? Introduce yourself, share a link to your blog. Use the #WorldWineTravel hashtag during our chat and if you’re joining in live this morning, g’day and howzitgarn?
  • 8:05 – Q2 First #WorldWineTravel event of 2022 and we’re headed Down Under to Western Australia which includes the Swan District, Perth Hills, Peel, Geographe, Margaret River, Blackwood Valley, Manjimup, Pemberton, or Great Southern. Was it difficult for you to find wine from the area?
  • 8:15 – Q3 Tell us about the wine that you opened and poured for today. From which part of Western Australia does it come. Is there anything noteworthy about its creation? Share a link to your tasting notes and photos, if you like. #WorldWineTravel
  • 8:20 – Q4 What foods did you pair with your wine? Is this a traditional Australian dish? Or not? Share a link to your recipe and photos, if you like. #WorldWineTravel
  • 8:30 – Q5 Did you think the pairing was successful? Why or why not? If not, what would you pair with the wine a second time around? #WorldWineTravel
  • 8:35 – Q6 Even though not many of us are currently travelling, I have to ask: Have you been to the region from where your wine came? Thoughts or memories about the area? Do tell! #WorldWineTravel
  • 8:40 – Just a shoutout of appreciation to some of the #WorldWineTravelbloggers who participated today: @WendyKlik @tsteffes @ArtPredator @linda_lbwcsw @Vignetocomm @foodwineclick @culinary_cam
  • 8:50 – Q7 Did you find any of the pairings inspiring today? Will you try to track down any of the Western Australian  wines mentioned? Or try any of the dishes? Why or why not? #WorldWineTravel
  • 8:55 – Q8 Any last comments/questions? Share a thought, comment, or question! #WorldWineTravel
  • 9a Thanks for joining us #WorldWineTraveltoday! Happy New Year! We hope you’ll join again next month as @ArtPredator leads the discussion on Southern Australian red wines. Stay tuned.

Australia Wine Map from Vineyards.com

Join us this year! For 2022, #WordlWineTravel explores these regions in Australia and New Zealand:

  • Jan: Western Aus
  • Feb: S Aus Red
  • Mar: S Aus White
  • Apr: Victoria Red
  • May: Victoria White
  • June: NSW Red
  • July: NSW White
  • Aug: Sparkling, Fortified, or Tasmania
  • Sept- NZ N Island – Martinborough
  • Oct- NZ N Island – other than Martinborough (Hawke’s Bay, etc…)
  • Nov- NZ S Island – Marlborough
  • Dec- NZ S Island – other than Marlborough

12 thoughts on “Margaret River’s Vinaceous Voodoo Moon Malbec Makes You Howl for Blue Cheese Burgers on the Barbie #WorldWineTravel”

  1. I love your moon theme! So many names for the January Moon! And while it is chilly here and warm Down Under, we might as well enjoy some of those rich, bold warm flavors in wine and a big blue cheese burger sounds perfect!

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  3. The Wolf Moon was so beautiful and I loved that part of your post. However, I always adore how you pair your wine with multiple foods. My husband loves bleu cheese, so this is a no brainer for us. That label though. Love it.

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  5. I love the witchy vibes I’m getting from this wine and post. I love your discussion of all the names for the January full moon and completely digging this bottle’s label. I also found your description of the aromas — “Fresh ripe blueberries, as if you have spent the morning picking blueberries, the dampness and the earth, sweet fragrent roses” — completely enchanting.

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