Wine Peeps is an independent wine blog dedicated to helping you get the most bang for your buck in wine. We do this through blind tastings of wine from around the world and calculations of 
Wine Word of the Week: Spittoon
By Kori ~ May 24th, 2011.
This week’s Wine Word of the Week is spittoon.
Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Whatever tasters spit into is a spittoon. These can vary from specially designed giant metal funnels, through wooden cases filled with sawdust, to ice buckets, jugs, or, particularly convenient at a seated tasting, personal plastic or cardboard beakers. Most professional tasting rooms are equipped with channels, or sinks with running water designed to drain away expectorated wine.
Layman’s terms from Kori:
Spittoon is a container or sink into which wine tasters spit. Spittoons are also often referred to as spit buckets or dump buckets. Spittoons are usually provided in tasting rooms and at tasting events.
Filed under: Wine Word of the Week
Very educational post, not only for new vocabulary but also because of your clear description about the handling of expectorated wine in professional tasting rooms. A clean and practical solution that ensures a high degree of hygiene and health safety. Learning new things is always good, thank you.
CoffeeGuy,
Glad you enjoyed this post. Thanks for your kind words. Cheers!