As I write this column, humanity seems to be in particularly deep trouble from rising temperatures, raging wildfires and deadly flooding, not to mention the latest mutants of a killer virus. But, looking at a sliver of a bright side here, has there ever been a better time to be a lover of Southern Italian wines?

I am not making light. I am just finding hope in my world by looking at the facts. And from my perspective as an American who lives in Italy and loves the country, with a penchant for the Italian South, this is a golden age of wine. This seems to be the Mezzogiorno’s moment to shine.