Fine collection of Vino

By Brian Fry

brian.fry@myvalleyvino.com

You can tell a lot about a restaurant’s commitment to and appreciation of wine when you first walk through its door. It is clear from the moment you enter Liberty’s Station Square Ristorante that it has embraced the concept of how important wine is to the dining experience.

There is a bottle of wine on each table, and great pictures of wine and food adorn the walls. Most importantly, a new wine list is available for diners to select the right bottle for their dining experience.

Owner and Head Chef Ottavio Musumeci has been working hard to improve many facets of his restaurant since he purchased the building a few months ago. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment is the new wine list he launched this month. Musumeci has produced one of the finest and most comprehensive lists in all of Northeast Ohio. The list offers 138 different wines from 11 different countries ranging in price from $12 to $1,300 a bottle.

Musumeci, born in Torino, Italy, immigrated to the United States in 1999 and became a U.S. citizen in 2004. He met his wife, Bridgete, in Italy while she was studying Italian culinary arts.

Musumeci says designing and implementing the new list was a labor of love.

“I wanted to do this because I love wine. I did it for personal satisfaction, so I can say with certainty that I have one of the best wine lists in the area.”

Musumeci has submitted the new list to The Wine Spectator for consideration for an Award of Excellence. Each year, the publication selects the best wine lists in the United States and features them in an annual issue.

Musumeci has a few personal favorites on the list, including Veuve Clicquot Brut sparkling wine from Spain, Ridge Montebello Cabernet, Groth Oakville Cabernet, and an incredible selection of 2005 Bordeaux from his private collection. The 2005 vintage from Bordeaux was historic in both the quality and depth of the wines, including the spectacular Chateau Leoville Las Cases, which earned a rare 100-point rating. These wines carry a hearty price tag ranging from $170 to $1,300.

If you are looking for great value on the list, Musumeci suggests his Station Square Private Label Cabernet. A bottle of this wine sits on each table ready for you to enjoy. It is a blend of Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petite Verdot, with the grapes originating in California.

The wine is fruity and delicious and represents a nice value at under $20 a bottle.