Campania Naples (Napoli) is the administrative center of Campania, whose other provinces include Avellino, Benevento, Caserta and Salerno. The region ranks 12th in size (13,595 square kilometers) and 2nd in population (5,793,000). Vineyards cover 45,000 hectares, of which registered DOC or DOCG plots total 3,500 hectares. Average annual wine production of 2,100,000 hectoliters (9th) includes about 5% DOC or DOCG, somewhat more white than red. The ancient Romans admired Campania Felix as the most felicitous of wine regions. They favored the vineyards along the coast north of Naples where Falernian, the most treasured wine of the empire, was grown. They also praised the wines of volcanic Vesuvius and the wooded hills of Avellino. Even earlier, the Greeks had recognized the privileged nature of the place, introducing vines which still stand out today in Aglianico, Greco and Falanghina. Yet, until recently, it seemed that wine producers of Campania, with a few conspicuous exceptions, had forgotten about the glories of the past, as growers left the land and winemakers largely ignored DOC. But now, after a long lapse, Campania is undergoing a revival that has dramatically improved quality. Things truly are changing in Campania’s vineyards, where a new spirit of achievement and sense of pride has been bolstered by the introduction of thoroughly modern winemaking techniques. Evidence of the new era is the rapid increase in production of DOC wines, including the first DOCG of the south in Taurasi. The volume of DOC wine produced has multiplied in recent years. But modernization has by no means swept away respect for tradition. In Campania, a majority of producers strives to make the most of native vines, including an honor roll of so-called "archaeological varieties" which do indeed date back to antiquity. The noblest of red varieties is Aglianico, which makes the red Taurasi, as well as the red Falerno del Massico and others. Taurasi has been called "the Barolo of the south," due to its size and ability to age, though its style is proudly its own. Greco, a name applied to various vines prominent in the south, reaches heights in Greco di Tufo. Fiano, praised by the Romans, is the base of the inimitable Fiano di Avellino. Falanghina, which seems to have been the base of the white version of Falernian, has become the region’s fastest spreading variety. Campania’s DOC zones also include the fabled islands of Capri and Ischia, as well as the recently revived Penisola Sorrentina and Costa d’Amalfi, taking in the dramatically terraced seaside vineyards from Sorrento to Amalfi.