From the Ithaca Journal, Nov. 16:
New wineries are sprouting up around the state, investments are growing, and visits by tourists and wine lovers have increased by more than 20 percent since 2003, despite record gasoline prices in 2008.
A survey of 169 wineries conducted by the National Agricultural Statistics Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, found that the state wine industry not only has weathered the recession but also has exploded in size.