Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow Team Up for a Cause

Foodie friends Gwyneth Paltrow and Mario Batali have signed on as celebrity ambassadors for the star LOT at the upcoming Christie’s auction of Fine and Rare Wines on November 19, at the company’s Rockefeller Center galleries.  The LOT features  a special collector’s case of six numbered, limited-edition bottles of rare, exquisite Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 1911, which the legendary champagne house has generously donated in an effort to raise money as a partner to a very special charity.

This 100 year old wine has been conserved in Moët & Chandon’s vintage cellars and is of uncommon excellence. The Lunchbox Fund, an organization dedicated to providing a daily meal for impoverished and at-risk students in South African township high schools will be the beneficiary of 100% of the auction proceeds. Batali sits on the board and Paltrow is a frequent friend and supporter of the organization which also boasts luminaries like Joaquin Phoenix, Michael Stipe, Salman Rushdie, and Balthazar Getty as staunch supporters.

The lucky, successful bidder for this rare case of Moët + Chandon 1911 Grand Vintage will be invited, along with a guest, to a once-in-a-lifetime champagne pairing dinner created and hosted by Batali in the private wine cellar of his famed New York City restaurant, Del Posto. And a few surprise guests are expected. The menu will be paired with some of the most outstanding champagne from the Moët & Chandon heritage portfolio.

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