There are two kinds of nights in life. The first kind is productive. You cook dinner, maybe read a book, and go to bed feeling like a reasonably responsible adult.

The second kind usually starts with a glass of wine and the sudden urge to text someone you absolutely should not be texting.

In moments like these, I have a simple rule: wine has standards, and so should you.

So if you ever find yourself hovering over your phone wondering whether you should call your ex, here are five bottles I strongly recommend drinking instead.

Your dignity will thank you.

And frankly, the wine deserves better company anyway.

1. Nickel & Nickel — CC Ranch Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

The CC Ranch Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon from Nickel & Nickel is the kind of bottle that demands your full attention.

Deep, layered aromas of blackcurrant, dark cherry, and warm baking spice rise from the glass, followed by hints of cocoa, cedar, and that unmistakable dusty Rutherford character that feels like Napa wearing its finest suit.

The finish lingers warmly, the way a hug does when the person giving it might have trained for the Olympics in hugging. Its comforting, generous, and just a little bit bewitching.

There are only a few wines in the world that taste exactly the way they smell, at least according to me. This is one of them. The wine reminds me of someone who is exactly who you think they are.

Which is precisely why you shouldn’t call your ex while drinking it.

Because if someone is actually that good, they wouldn’t be your ex in the first place.

2. The Lure — 2011 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 

This is a special wine. Open it when the temptation to call is irresistible. 

Plum, cherry, mocha, and fresh - ground coffee rise from the glass like something you know you shouldn't fall for - but probably will. The 2011 Faust Cabernet is plush, coaxing and quietly luxurious. 

The wine feels like sitting in the backseat of somebody's car and realising that you'll fall for them if you let yourself. It's a kind of wine that makes the winemaker sigh in contentment. 

The finish lingers gently, almost like the wine is keeping secrets. And honestly, if you're already drinking something charming, mysterious, and slightly intoxicating...

Just drink the wine. Fall for the Cabernet instead.

3. V. Sattui — 2016 Morisoli Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2016 Morisoli Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from V. Sattui Winery sits in your mouth like warm compliments generously delivered under cloudy skies.

Dark plum, black cherry, and subtle notes of espresso drift across the palate, supported by velvety tannins that unfold slowly, lingering gently at the edges.

It’s confident, passionate, and undeniably seductive. 

In other words: everything your ex probably wasn’t.

If anything, this wine is a reminder that your standards can be much higher than you previously believed.

4. Spring Mountain Vineyard — 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon

Some wines age gracefully.

The 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon from Spring Mountain Vineyard is one of them.

Drinking it feels a little like witnessing a torrid romance between Napa and Bordeaux. Raunchy, complex, and beautifully layered.

The fruit has softened into elegant notes of dried blackberry, tobacco leaf, cedar, and old leather, wrapped together with the kind of maturity that only time can create.

It doesn’t scream for attention and you absolutely don’t need to babysit this one. 

You shouldn't text him at all, because if he shows up, suddenly you’re sharing a bottle of excellent Cabernet with someone who probably doesn’t even remember what you wore on your first date.

And that feels like a tragic misuse of very good wine.

Drink it alone.

Protect the Cabernet.

5. Wooden Valley Winery — Cabernet Sauvignon

The Cabernet from Wooden Valley Winery is dangerously smooth.

Velvety dark fruit glides across the palate — black cherry, cassis, a touch of mocha — all wrapped in soft tannins that make the wine feel comforting without losing its structure.

It’s the kind of bottle you buy and casually pretend was a practical decision.

But here’s the thing.

If you were really making practical decisions, he wouldn’t be your ex.

And clearly you did make a practical decision — because he is your ex.

So why ruin the evening by disappointing a perfectly good winery?

What did Wooden Valley ever do to you, apart from making you fall in love with wine all over again?

Leave the ex alone.

Drink the wine.

Wine is patient. Wine evolves. Wine gets better with time.

So if you ever feel tempted to call someone who clearly didn’t age as well as a good bottle of Cabernet…

open another bottle instead.