Bloodlines & Bottles: A Gothic Guide to Wine by Archetype
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
From Champagne to Tempranillo, The Lace Ledger pairs iconic grapes with archetypal moods, morsels and midnight pursuits.
Old world wine, like archetypes, carries its own mythology. Born of monastic cellars, peasant toil and royal feasts, each bottle carries centuries of storied ritual and survival.
The vineyards of France, Italy and Spain are scribes of empire and earth, where the struggle of vines against stone and sun gave rise to traditions that still define luxury today. Each grape carries generations of soil and sacrifice; every glass is an invitation to toast to its unique history.
Below, we’ve matched each archetype with the grape that best captures her essence, including tasting notes, carefully curated pairings and a soundtrack to transform a pour into a persona.
Archetype Pairings
The Widow – Sangiovese (Tuscany, Italy)
Born in the Tuscan hills, Sangiovese has long been the lifeblood of Chianti—a wine that tastes of love, loss, and centuries of Italian feasts and funerals.
Tasting Notes: Earthy red cherry, dried herbs, leather — a grape that tastes of love and loss.
Why She Loves It: A wine that mourns and seduces in equal measure, with a bitter finish as haunting as her gaze.
Food Pairings: Osso buco, truffle-infused potato gratin (pommes dauphinoise), bittersweet chocolate torte with black cherries.
Activity: Jewellery restoration; taking beloved heirloom pieces, peeling back the wear of time and restoring their sheen.
Song: In the Woods Somewhere – Hozier.
The Heiress – Champagne (Champagne, France)
From French coronations to gilded salons, Champagne has been the aristocrat’s indulgence for centuries.
Tasting Notes: Fine bubbles, brioche, citrus — elegance, bottled.
Why She Loves It: For her, champagne is not a celebration but a lifestyle.
Food Pairings: Lobster thermidor canapes, almond pear frangipane with vanilla cream.
Activity: Dining on a rooftop patio.
Song: Lana Del Rey – Young and Beautiful.
The Corp Goth – Brut (Champagne, France)
Crisp, bone-dry Brut emerged from the same storied French cellars as Champagne, built for boardrooms as much as ballrooms—precision in a flute.
Tasting Notes: Crisp green apple, lemon zest, chalky minerality.
Why She Loves It: Brut cuts as clean as a tailored suit — no sweetness, no compromise.
Food Pairings: Smoked salmon tartines, lobster rolls, gougères.
Activity: Reviewing quarterly reports with one manicured hand on the flute.
Song: Ghostemane – Mercury: Retrograde.
The Brat – Gewürztraminer (Alsace, France / Germany)
Alsatian Gewürztraminer is floral, spicy and unapologetically bold—a rebellious concoction bottled on the Rhine.
Tasting Notes: Lychee, rose, spice — fragrant, loud, impossible to ignore.
Why She Loves It: Sweet and chaotic; like her laughter.
Food Pairings: Spicy Thai curry, rainbow sherbert.
Activity: Poker game with new friends.
Song: My Chemical Romance – Give’Em Hell, Kid.
The Vamp – Primitivo (Puglia, Italy)
From the sun-drenched heel of Italy, Primitivo’s dark fruit and velvet weight tempts with a wild, Southern heat.
Tasting Notes: Blackberries, cloves, smoke — lush and dangerous.
Why She Loves It: A wine as dark and seductive as she is.
Food Pairings: Charcuterie with blood sausage, charred octopus, red velvet brownie.
Activity: Underground rock show.
Song: In This Moment ft Kim Dracula – Heretic.
The Oracle – Riesling (Germany, Mosel Valley)
Germany’s Mosel slopes birthed Riesling, a wine layered with wisdom, echoing the river’s winding prophecy.
Tasting Notes: Floral, honeyed, with electric acidity.
Why She Loves It: Zip with sweet couture, perfume with a side of prophecy.
Food Pairings: Spring rolls with edible flowers and herb dipping sauce, Pad Thai, apple tart.
Activity: Constellation gazing.
Song: Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas.
The Romantic Goth – Valpolicella (Veneto, Italy)
In the hills outside Verona, Valpolicella ripens into poetry—dark fruit, heat and whispers of star-crossed lovers.
Tasting Notes: Cherries, violets, bittersweet chocolate.
Why She Loves It: Light yet aching, like a love letter folded too many times.
Food Pairings: Prosciutto and melon, lasagna veronese, affogoto.
Activity: Riding in a horse-drawn carriage at dusk.
Song: Emiliana Torrini – Unemployed in Summertime.
The Pin-Up – Pinot Grigio (Veneto / Friuli, Italy)
Italian Pinot Grigio is playful and fresh—born of Northern vineyards, designed to dazzle in every glass.
Tasting Notes: Crisp citrus, pear, white flowers.
Why She Loves It: Flirty, refreshing, the glass you refill without noticing.
Food Pairings: Shrimp cocktail, hamburgers with grilled pineapple, lemon bars.
Activity: Poolside lounging in cat-eye sunglasses.
Song: Elvis – You’re the Devil in Disguise.
The Whimsy Goth – Aligoté (Burgundy, France)
Aligoté, Burgundy’s overlooked second grape, is bright, whimsical and delightfully offbeat—an underdog with its own cult devotion.
Tasting Notes: Bright citrus, green apple, subtle hazelnut.
Why She Loves It: Unexpected, slightly eccentric, endlessly charming.
Food Pairings: Goat cheese tart, roasted chicken, lavender shortbread.
Activity: Hiking with a picnic basket and mismatched goblets.
Song: Fleetwood Mac – Dreams.
The Dark Academic – Montepulciano (Abruzzo, Italy)
From Abruzzo’s rugged hills, Montepulciano is brooding, introspective and inky-dark.
Tasting Notes: Dark fruit, tobacco, espresso — intellectual and alluring.
Why She Loves It: A scholar’s wine: complex, rustic, worth lingering over.
Food Pairings: Wild boar ragu, aged parmesan, creme brule.
Activity: Murder Mystery dinner party.
Song: Radiohead – Exit Music.
The Siren – Tempranillo (Rioja, Spain)
Spain’s Rioja made Tempranillo eternal: deep, sultry, ageless, it lures with oak, spice and a song that drowns time itself.
Tasting Notes: Red berries, plum, smoke, leather — tempestuous as the sea.
Why She Loves It: Bold with a finish that pulls you under like tidewater.
Food Pairings: Smoky fish tacos with salsa verde, paella valenciana, almond cake.
Activity: Midnight walk on the beach.
Song: PJ Harvey – Down by the Water.
Each grape is a doorway – an opportunity to curate an experience with the pop of the cork, transforming the mundane into magnificent. Lean into the characteristics about your archetype that call to you and you’ll feel more yourself with every moment.
For those who seek to learn more about viticulture’s history, we whole-heartedly recommend reading Wine and War by Donald and Petie Kladstrup. This exceptional account sheds light on how brave and resourceful French vintners safeguarded their vineyards, cellars and family legacies through World War II, resisting occupation to preserve heritage.
Which grape feels like yours — the Brat’s Gewürztraminer, the Vamp’s Primitivo or the Heiress’s Champagne? Tell us in the comments, and share the foods and songs you’d claim as your perfect pairing.
