Martina McBride, Blake Shelton + More Are Among ‘Best Cellars’

Martina McBride and Blake Shelton are joining a host of friends and fellow musicians for the 12th annual Eco-Energy Best Cellars Dinner on April 25 in Nashville to benefit the T. J. Martell Foundation. Joining them will be Dierks Bentley, Kix Brooks, Amy Grant, Big Kenny, Jonathan Cain of Journey, Kellie Pickler, Lisa Hartman Black and Clint Black.

Several noted wine collectors will bring world-class wines from their personal cellars to share with the guests at the gala event. Ken Frank, guest chef for the evening, will prepare a gourmet dinner that will compliment the variety of wines these collectors bring to the table.

The event has raised more than $1.8 million for cancer research at the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville. Chef Ken, owner of La Toque in Napa, Calif., says he has created a menu that will harmonize with the wines, adding, "I am honored to be invited to share my passion for great food and wine and be part of this wonderful dinner to raise funding and awareness for cancer research."

Only 120 lucky guests will be in attendance at the reception and dinner, which will be held at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville. The evening begins with the All Things That Sparkle reception, which will feature a silent auction that includes a trip to New York City with a tasting and lunch at Italian Wine Merchants, an etched De La Cain magnum donated by Jonathan Cain, and wine donated by each of the Best Cellars Wine hosts.

The dining room will be themed as a wine cellar, where guests will partake in a four-course dinner with wine chosen to compliment each serving. Big Kenny will host a live auction that will include an in-store shopping excursion at the David Yurman store in Nashville, a celebrity dining experience with Big Kenny and his wife, Christiev Alphin, and an opportunity to be the presenting sponsor of a performance by the African Children's Choir at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital.

Tickets to the event are $1,200 and may be purchased online at BestCellarsDinners. The T.J. Martell Foundation is the music industry's largest foundation that funds medical research focused on finding cures for leukemia, cancer and AIDS in the United States. Eco-Energy is an end-to-end midstream alternative energy company centered on the marketing, trading, transportation, and distribution of biofuels across North America.