after going to Italy two years ago I fell for Montepulciano wines
I too drink a lot of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (Wine Society own label), it's perfect with pasta and tomato based sauces and also a pleasant drink on its own.
But -- Montepulciano is confusing because there are two different types of wine with the name Montepulciano, because Montepulciano is both the name of a town in Italy and the name of a grape variety.
Basically, if the word Montepulciano comes first, e.g. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, then it is made from the Montepulciano grape variety grown in the Abruzzo region.
If Montepulciano comes last e.g. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano it comes from Sangiovese grapes grown in the Montepulciano region.
(they don't grow Montepulciano grapes in the Montepulciano region!!)