Continued expansion of New York’s wine industry makes it one of that state’s few growth businesses, even in tough economic times.
The number of wineries now totals 275.
With new licenses pending, the figure could top 300 by year’s end — a gain of nearly 10 percent — the New York State Wine & Grape Foundation reports.
While the Finger Lakes region and Long Island remain the major growth areas, wineries now operate in 46 of New York’s 62 counties, including on the Niagara and Chautauqua-Lake Erie wine trails.
“More wineries have been created in this decade than in the previous two decades combined, bringing with them the strong multiplier effects on the manufacturing, agricultural and tourism sectors of the economy,” notes James Trezise, president of the Canandaigua-based foundation.
