Le Marche might be one of the lesser known wine regions of Italy, but it's one to be discovered.

Even though Le Marche is slightly off the beaten path for travelers, it's still a breeze to visit from Rome, Tuscany, Milan, or Venice.  Le Marche region is on Italy's Adriatic east coast, south of Venice, and west of Tuscany.  Comparing one peninsula to another, Le Marche is situated at about the same position as Florida's Cape Canaveral.  Le Marche vineyards benefit from warm sunshine and cool air, from both the Alps of Northern Italy, and the sea.

Just because Le Marche is lesser known does not mean its wines are of any less quality.  The Instituto Marchigiano di Tutela Vini, the region's consortium which maintains standards of wine production, has recently set its sights on marketing to the U.S. 

Two of its more popular varietals are Verdicchio and Vernaccia.  'Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi' is a full-bodied white with a complex floral aroma, and 'Verdicchio di Matelica' is a rich golden white with intense minerality.  The Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG is a red produced using partially dried Vernaccia grapes, and naturally sparkles.

Another wine which you may have seen on wine store shelves is the red Montepulciano.  This grape is grown in a number of DOC and DOCG regions from Le Marche.  It offers red fruit and blackberry notes with a long, smooth finish.

Popular foods from La Marche include many natural and wild ingredients.  Truffles are very popular, as well as mushrooms, game, nuts, and herbs.  The dry wines of this region pair well with these foods, especially the white Verdicchio.

If you're looking to try some wines a little off the beaten path, look for wines from Italy's Le Marche.  While they are still making their way into the U.S. market, I suspect we'll be seeing much more of this region in the future.