Taiwanese artist finally coming to see her exquisite sculpture at Phantom Creek Winery

These winged women have impact.

Standing seven metres tall, wings unfolded and about to take flight, the two white sculptures dazzle visitors as they enter Phantom Creek Winery in Oliver.

Pro Terra et Natura, translated to 'earth and nature' in English, are also what wine lovers remember with awe long after they've left the winery.

After all, the beautiful women are the winery's signature, the front-and-centre face of Phantom Creek.

Even if you don't know that they represent two spirits of nature, mother and daughter, seeking sanctuary and a delicate connection to our planet, you instantly know they are special, slender beauties stretching to the sky, an aesthetic beyond compare.

The sculptures were created by contemporary Taiwanese artist Wu Ching Ru and installed in 2019.

The winery was set to have an official grand opening in April 2020 with Wu in attendance to show off her coated bronze enchantresses.

But, we all know what happened in the spring of 2020 -- a pandemic that put everything on hold.

"I have been yearning to visit Phantom Creek, to see the sculptures in person, their wings spread wide against the mesmerizing blue sky of the Valley, surrounded by the rich foliage and spectacular scenery," said Wu.

"I am very grateful that my creation has found its home here."

Wu is coming to Phantom Creek, Sept. 17-19, for the first time since Pro Terra et Natura was installed.

For the three days, she will be the winery's artist-in-residence, drawing inspiration from the Okanagan Valley and Black Sage Bench to paint 20 different collectable wine-box art pieces.

You can drop by the winery those days to see her at work and have a wine tasting.

On Sept. 18, there will also be a dinner at Phantom Creek's restaurant with a view with Wu as the guest of honour.

Tickets for the six-course dinner, featuring foie gras, tempura, scallops, duck, baked Alaska and plum gateau, are $245 per person at www.phantomcreekestates.com.

Phantom Creek is also hosting a lunch in Vancouver on Sept. 15 with Wu as the guest of honour and a few of her art pieces on display.

"Pro Terra et Natura is the perfect first welcome to the winery," said Phantom Creek managing director Francois Mateo.

"It captures everything we're about. It represents our commitment to creation, to art and culture and to being careful stewards of this land."

There are actually six other installations around the world of Wu's mythical winged mother and daughter.

The one chosen from over 1,000 submissions is 13 metres tall and graces Lu Jia Zui Central Park at the base of three skyscrapers in Shanghai's financial district.

Wu's bronze sculpture Endless was part of the collection representing outstanding art of China over the last 800 years when the country hosted the international summit BRICS, a acronym for its five member nations -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Wu has 12 monumental public sculptures installed over three continents and many works in museums and private collections around the world.

Wu was born and grew up in Taiwan, lived in the US and Holland and is now back in Taiwan where she works at a studio in the mountains creating paintings and sculptures merging influences from both China and the West.

Phantom Creek is a destination winery on Oliver's Black Sage Bench that burst onto the scene with much fanfare for its size, beauty, cost and premium wines.

The owner is Vancouver-based Chinese mining tycoon Richter Bai who spared no expense (some say $100 million) to construct the concrete-and-glass hilltop showpiece containing winery production facilities, tasting rooms, shop, patios, balconies, 180-seat restaurant, meeting rooms and amphitheatre.