About us

Husband and wife Werner Nistler, Jr. and Colleen Nistler are Co-founders of Amaterra. Their endeavor with Marcus Breuer and Matt Vuylsteke resulted in the creation of Swede Hill Vineyards in 2013, a Pinot Noir vineyard planted in Portland’s West Hills.

Werner is also the Founder and Chairman of Touchmark, which develops and operates full-service retirement communities throughout North America. Colleen serves as the Vice-Chairperson of the Touchmark Board of Directors, having held several roles including controller.

In their spare time, Werner and Colleen enjoy spending time with their six children and are active in their church community. Werner has also served on the Board of Trustees for Jesuit High School, Valley Catholic Capital Campaign, and the Catholic Charities Cabinet, organizations in which Colleen has also been involved and supported. They are also serving in support of the University of North Dakota, Werner’s alma mater. They are both avid cyclists and swimmers. 

Marcus is a co-founder of Amaterra and also serves as CEO of the state-of-the-art winery set in the tree-filled slopes of Portland’s West Hills.

Outside of his time in Seattle earning his Bachelor’s of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Washington, Marcus has spent his whole life in the West Hills of Portland and calls the area his home today. Marcus worked in the banking industry for a number of years before spending time in supply chain and finance at Intel. While at Intel, Marcus received his finance MBA from Portland State University.

Building on his long-time relationship with Amaterra Founders Colleen and Werner Nistler while serving in many roles at Touchmark as well as his grade-school friendship with Amaterra Winemaker Matt Vuylsteke, Marcus helped connect all the parties and bring together the winery’s talented team of winemakers, hospitality and culinary leaders, and operations staff.

Outside of work, Marcus enjoys spending time with his wife (whom he’s known since childhood) and their four daughters skiing, golfing, and playing pickleball.

Matt Vuylsteke is the General Manager and Winemaker at Amaterra Winery, located amidst the tree-filled slopes of Portland’s West Hills. A native of Portland, Oregon, Matt graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Food Science & Technology from Oregon State University as well as obtained a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Concordia University. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the esteemed Oregon Winegrowers Association, a significant role achieved by few.

Matt started in the wine industry as a cellar hand at Tyee Wine Cellars and as an undergraduate research assistant in the Enology Extension Laboratory at Oregon State University. He spent several years in Washington working as a production enologist for The Hogue Cellars, eventually returning to Oregon, joining the Domaine Serene team as an assistant winemaker. Matt founded a vineyard management and winemaking consulting company and, in 2012, along with his wife Nancy, launched their own winery, 51Weeks Winemaking.

In 2013, Matt and Nancy’s consulting company was engaged by Amaterra to help plant and manage the first vineyards, and later, as 51Weeks Winemaking became a part of Amaterra, Matt joined the Amaterra team.

At Amaterra, Matt is charged with leading the development of the estate vineyards and winemaking program, direct-to-consumer, Wine Club, and off-premises sales. When he’s not busy bringing delicious wines to consumers, Matt enjoys skiing, cycling, tennis, and spending time with his wife, two children, and golden retriever, Champ, on both the mountains and the beach.

Jami Flatt is the Executive Chef at Amaterra and brings with him over 20 years of professional industry experience. He earned his degree from Arizona’s Scottsdale Culinary Institute and has worked in prestigious establishments such as The Ritz-Carlton, Silver Queen Restaurant, The Nines Hotel, Urban Farmer, and Departure. Having held the roles of chef de cuisine, executive sous chef, and executive chef, he has built meaningful relationships with peers in Portland’s vast culinary scene. Jami’s menus exemplify his passion for using high-quality, seasonal, locally grown food and his profound respect for farmers and the bounty of the Pacific Northwest.