• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, April 25, 2011

I've heard of the Secret Sherry Society, but this is my first knowledge of "The Order of the Raven."

Ravenswood Winery in Sonoma County, Calif. invited 100 journalists throughout the country to join the uber-secret "Order of the Raven." 

Partners + Napier crafted invitations for the journalists that went far beyond your average snail mail invite. Scrolled, letterpress invitations in cherry-stained wooden wine boxes, sealed with wax and wrapped in a custom-made, black leather raven feather arrived to sway journalists into joining the decades-old secret society.

"Invitees were summoned by invitations with the inscription 'Advoco de Corvus,' which means, 'Call of the Raven,' said Maureen McDaniel, senior designer at Vine Design at Partners + Napier. "A wax-sealed letter outlined trip details - including three days in Sonoma/Napa, helicopter tours of select vineyards, and a private dinner hosted by winemaker Joel Peterson at the Peterson homestead."

The campaign was completed in 12 weeks and marks the first time that Peterson invited journalists inside "The Order of the Raven." "In the past, Joel has chosen people he is friends with, people he admires, and people in the industry. Basically anyone he wanted to share his passion of winemaking with," said McDaniel. "This year, Joel decided that the best way to share his passion with the world was to invite a hand-selected group of journalists who could bring that excitement to the masses and help create a buzz about Ravenswood Wines and the art of making Zinfandels."

To date, only Joel Peterson knows how many people are members of the society, and only Peterson himself can invite someone to join.

And it's no longer a secret society, I guess.