Mario Batali, Gwyneth Paltrow, Moët & Chandon Give Back Through Charity Auction

On November 19, 2011, Moët & Chandon will auction off a century-old treasure, a case of the legendary champagne house’s Grand Vintage Collection 1911 champagne at the upcoming Fine & Rare Wines sale at Christie’s Rockefeller Center.

All proceeds from sale of the exclusive collector’s case of six 750ml bottles of the legendary Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 1911 will benefit The Lunchbox Fund, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing a daily meal for impoverished and at-risk students in South African township high schools. The lot is estimated to realize $30,000 – $50,000 and similar auctions – to benefit other philanthropic organizations – are taking place in 11 cities around the world.

Even at the time of its harvest a century ago, the 1911 vintage was recognized then as memorable by the chef de cave of Moët & Chandon. Presented in a luxurious black leather chest with elegant brass fittings, this extraordinary champagne has been conserved under optimum aging conditions in the château’s cellars, and the bottles were disgorged only in early 2011 to ensure a vintage wine of uncommon excellence.

The successful bidder for the case will be invited with a guest to a special dinner hosted by award winning Chef Mario Batali, to celebrate the auction, at one of his signature New York restaurants, with accompanying vintage champagnes selected by Moët & Chandon chef de cave Benoît Gouez, including a bottle of this rare 1911 vintage. Mario Batali is a board member and one of several well-known ambassadors of The Lunchbox Fund, which was established by philanthropist Topaz Page-Green and enjoys the support of Gwyneth Paltrow, Salman Rushdie, Joaquin Phoenix, Jim Dine, Francesco Clemente andMichael Stipe among others.

To further the success of this charitable auction, Paltrow and Batali have come together as the ambassadors to garner more awareness for The Lunchbox Fund. As an added enticement for bidders, it is anticipated that one or more of the celebrity supporters of The Lunchbox Fund will co-host this once-in-a-lifetime dinner that will be awarded to the winning bidder.



To participate in advanced bidding for the Moët & Chandon 1911 Grand Vintage LOT, please visit:
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/searchresults.aspx?hdnSaleID=23091&LN=128