Tonson cared for and improved his vineyard in a number of ways. First, he travelled to other English vineyards, particularly to the Paragon Vineyard, just north of Bath, in quest of tips and hints. Secondly, he tried to enrich the soil: "I beleive I have now 200 Load of Excellent Muck upon ye ground & it is now Spreading in baskets on ye roots of ye Vines: there has nevour yet but a very litle muck been laid on it." Thirdly, he was eager to import superior vines from France: "I shal want a good many new Stocks to plant in my Vyneard." He asked his nephew to seek out and import one hundred each of three different kinds: "Burgundy Viens", "Early ffrench sweet Water Vines", and "White Muscandine Vines". With these he restocked the neglected old vineyard, but also turned over new land to vines: "I have found such advantage in my improvemt at the Vyneard that I have retrieved one other quarter let to be overun wth wild plants, to above ye quantity of one Acre, & am by very good advise resolved to plant it with Young Vines; I have already in every thing prepared ye ground."
The results were (at least according to Tonson) impressive: "Amey was with me & uppon tasting agreed they [some imported French wines] were extraordinary good, & yet after drinking a Bottle of my English wine he declared he had rather drink that. I am not of his opinion, yet I must say it is to me as agreeable this Season & more pleasant." He was confident enough to offer his wines to even the greatest in the land, such as the Duke of Newcastle: "let me know if his grace wil accept of a tast of the wine I made last Yeare. I think it is very good & drinks as wel as the wines about Paris." And, like many proud winegrowers, Tonson claimed health benefits for his product: "the 3 Hogsheads I made this Yeare are . . . fine & of a milder & more pleasing tast than Port, & does not bind or heat ye Body as I find Port does."
A thread of continuity connected Tonson's bucolic retirement to the metropolitan world of bookselling he had left behind. Common to both phases of Tonson's career was a determination to enrich his native land with the best productions of distant times and countries, whether wine or literature. One may be mildly sceptical about the quality of the drink Tonson produced at The Hazels, and yet still see that the commitment he brought to winemaking was similar to the commitment with which as a young man he had set about enlarging, refining and marketing English literature.
