Graystone Winery, 3352 F Road, in business since 1995, is the sole Clifton winery in the valley. It went up for sale officially last week at an asking price of $1.5 million for the tasting room, winery and inventory worth $1.6 million. The owners also have for sale their estate and 25 acres of land, which is priced at $2.4 million in addition to the winery property.

“I’m retiring in the future,” said founder Barbara Maurer. “I think this can be one of the biggest port houses in the country, but it is now a boutique winery and we make a limited number of bottles. It has potential for making as much as you want to increase your labor.”

Palisade native Maurer, who has a law degree and an MBA, exercised her business prowess to make Graystone a mentioned name in wine circles. Her winery was mentioned by USA Today and Cowboys & Indians magazine. It has won a double gold medal in the International Eastern Wine Competition, a gold designation in the Denver International Wine Competition, and silver in the Los Angeles State Fair, the Colorado State Fair, the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition and the Southwestern Wine Competition in Taos, N.M.

A signature lion door decoration on the castle-like door greets visitors with a door handle that says “push down hard.” When opened, the winery’s barrels along both sides is somewhat reminiscent of Napa’s Merryvale winery banquet room.

“You have a very good feeling when you come in here,” said Carol Rowald, 59, of Zabcikville, Texas, who visited the winery Tuesday with her husband.

“It gives the valley some diversity and some flavors we haven’t found at other vineyards,” said Doug Rowald, 62, who bought two types of port. On this occasion, tasting room manager Desiree Lancaster instructed him to take a bite of the chocolate in a dish after his taste. “It’s quite elegant,” he said. Lancaster said the Port II is good with vanilla ice cream and cheesecake, among other things.

“Port is the last grape in the valley that is picked, and I’m not addressing dessert wines,” said Maurer. “We have to have the maximum amount of sugar in the grape because the alcohol content is 20 percent. It is sweet.”

The winery makes 2,000 cases a year.

Maurer said she would train the next owner.

“It would be great if they already had agricultural land here and were growing a crop or something because there is no ag land that goes with this winery. We grow five acres of grapes on the parcel up for sale and if you want to make more, you can buy grapes from neighboring vineyards. I buy from two or three local vineyards. They can buy a section of the land for sale or they can buy property anywhere else.”

Graystone also sells wines from out-of-the-way vineyards in the valley including Woody Creek and Reeder Mesa wineries.

Amber Ridge Vineyards, at 3820 G 1/4 Road in Palisade, is also up for sale for just under $1.4 million including its acreage.