RL Tasting Notes Series
A delectable series of music, wine, and dinner with Dr. Daniel Anastasio, pianist, and Cecilia Barretto, sommelier.
Series II
Three Tuesdays of Piano, Wine, and Dinner once a Month
6:30PM Reception - 7:00PM Performance & Presentation - 7:45PM Seated Dinner
LIMITED TO 18 GUESTS - OPEN TO RLSC MEMBERS & THE PUBLIC
DRESS CODE: JACKET REQUIRED FOR MEN, TIE OPTIONAL (NO DENIM, SHORTS, T-SHIRTS AND, FOR MEN, NO OPEN TOED SHOES OR HATS)
Second of Three: Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Franz Schubert
Piano Selection: Impromptus op. 90 no. 3
Wine Pairing: Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Réserve (Champagne, France)
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Piano Selection: Impromptus op. 90 no. 4
Wine Pairing: Twomey 2022 (Russian River Valley, California)
Wine Pairing: Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz 2019 (Barossa Valley, Barossa, South Australia)
Franz Schubert's Impromptus are a series of eight pieces for solo piano composed in 1827. They were published in two sets of four impromptus each: the first two pieces in the first set were published in the composer's lifetime as Op. 90; the second set was published posthumously as Op. 142 in 1839 (with a dedication added by the publisher to Franz Liszt). The third and fourth pieces in the first set were published in 1857 (although the third piece was printed by the publisher in G major, instead of G♭ as Schubert had written it, and remained available only in this key for many years). The two sets are now catalogued as D. 899 and D. 935 respectively. They are considered to be among the most important examples of this popular early 19th-century genre. [Wikiapedia]
RESERVATIONS
CLICK BELOW TO RESERVE
Series II Dates
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828)
DINNER MENU
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Cheese & Charcuterie
A selection of premium cheeses and cured meats.
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Carpaccio of SRF Wagyu Tenderloin
Arugula - Parmesan Reggiano - Vinaigrette
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Basil, Fresh Mozzarella, & Eggplant Ravioli
Parmigiano Reggiano - Walnuts - Fresh Basil
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Marsala Braised Duck Legs
Turkish Figs - Potatoes
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Flourless Chocolate Cake
Dietary preferences may be communicated when making the reservation.
Dr. Daniel Anastasio
Cecilia Barretto
Dr. Daniel Anastasio and Cecilia Barretto, two virtuosos in their fields, team together to bring you Act II of Roosevelt Library’s Tasting Note Series, a unique and unforgettable collaboration of pairing music, wine, and the senses. Anastasio brings forward his classical piano expertise and Cecilia brings her skill and knowledge for wine tasting, pairing, and edutainment. The Tasting Note Series showcases the blending of senses to engage listeners to stay in the present moment and emotionally connect with the music and wine on a deeper level.
Daniel Anastasio is a soloist and chamber musician based in San Antonio, Texas. He serves as Artistic Director of several organizations including Agarita and the San Antonio Chamber Music Society, his innovative programs have included collaborations with dancers, writers, museums, photographers, glass-blowers, and more. He is the co-founder and pianist of Unheard-of Ensemble, a group that creates engaging interdisciplinary works in direct collaboration with emerging artists and composers across the United States, and tours actively. An Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Keyboard Studies at San Antonio College, Anastasio received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Philosophy from Cornell University, a Master of Music degree from Juilliard, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University.
Cecilia’s passion for wine started 23 years ago, to include three years in Burgundy for an MSc in Wine Business, and many exam trips to Napa to complete the Level 4 Diploma of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). For the last three years she has run a wine edutainment business, with a particular joy for events with pairings that go beyond food. Naturally, the opportunity to collaborate with Dr. Anastasio to combine the sensory pleasures of wines and music was one not to be missed.
Together, they have paired music with wine to intentionally enhance both the audience’s listening and tasting experiences. Event attendees will sit back, sip, and listen, as Dr. Anastasio performs music and shares insight on music cognition and Cecilia guides the wine tasting and pairings to complement the music.
Following this, attendees will be treated to another joy of the senses with a three course meal paired with the wines featured during the tasting, as well as opportunities to mingle and share in discourse on the sensory blending of the evening.
First of Three: Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Gershwin & Evans
Piano Selection: “Embraceable You” by George Gershwin
Wine Pairing: 2023 Albert Bichot Chablis - Chardonnay (Burgundy, France)
This virtuosic showpiece is concert pianist Earl Wild’s homage to the soulful, heartfelt sensibilities of jazz songwriter George Gershwin. On its own, the tune “Embraceable You” is full of deep longing and desire, an expression of love – perhaps infatuation – from one to another. While deeply passionate, it’s quite tender, with harmonies and melodic shapes that melt the heart and evoke vulnerability. Earl Wild’s arrangement brings out both the virtuosity and intensity of such a desire, and the fragility and sweetness of the longing heart.
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Piano Selection: “Peace Piece” by Bill Evans
Wine Pairing: 2021 Duckhorn Vineyards - Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, CA)
Wine Pairing: 2016 Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve Tapestry - Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, CA)
Bill Evans was one of the greatest jazz pianists of the 20th century, particularly known for his profoundly beautiful harmonic voicings and sensitive touch at the instrument. His tune “Peace Piece” was an improvisation he recorded over a very simple, repeating set of chords in his left hand. There is a sense of inevitability, calm, smoothness, warmth, acceptance, contemplation, and nostalgia throughout. Occasional accents of experimental harmony provide complexity and depth to an otherwise unassuming tune.
George Gershwin & Bill Evans
DINNER MENU
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Cheese & Charcuterie
A selection of premium cheeses and cured meats.
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Oysters Rockefeller with Crisp Baguette
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Duck Confit & Ricotta Ravioli with Wine Cream Sauce
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Gorgonzola-Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine Sauce
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Basque Cheesecake with Berry Compote
PARKING AT THE ROOSEVELT LIBRARY
The Roosevelt Library has about 50 complimentary self-parking spaces available to guests. Street parking is often available. Vehicles are not to be left in the Roosevelt Library parking lot overnight. The Roosevelt Library will not be liable for theft or damages to vehicles or the contents of vehicles.
MAP TO THE ROOSEVELT LIBRARY
HISTORY OF THE ROOSEVELT LIBRARY
The First Carnegie Library of San Antonio opened in 1903. The original building at 210 W. Market Street was constructed with funding donated by Andrew Carnegie, on property donated by Caroline Kampann. On September 9, 1921, a storm event created from the remnants of a hurricane moved through Central Texas and produced over seven inches of rainfall in downtown San Antonio and the near west side of the city. The flooding forced the temporary closure of the Carnegie Library. It was razed in 1929 and the new main library was completed in August 1930 on the original site. The name changed from Carnegie Library to San Antonio Public Library.
In 1929 the Roosevelt Park Branch Library, San Antonio’s South side library, opened and in 1968 it closed. The building is located across from the Roosevelt Park which marks the beginning of the Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration and Recreation Project, an eight mile stretch of the San Antonio River that has received designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, the building’s architect was John Marriott who also designed the Carnegie Library in Delaware, Ohio. Leland Stone purchased the building in 2013. The building is the home of the Roosevelt Library Social Club.