The capital of Italy is Rome. The fertile Po river basin, to the north, holds some of Italy's richest farmland. Grapes have been harvested in Italy from time immemorial. Italy produces about a quarter of the world's wines, with Piedmont having the densest concentration of vineyards, especially in the provinces of Asti, Alessandria, and Cuneo. The Tuscan Chianti and Sicilian Muscats and Marsala have a worldwide reputation.
Olive production is second only to that of Spain.
About a third of the groves are in Apulia. Italy is the second largest European producer of citrus fruits. With the national diet based on pasta, it is hardly surprising that wheat is a basic crop. The hard grains used for pasta come in the greatest quantity from Sicily.