PARIS - At first sight a spittoon can be intimidating. Offputting even. But a wine taster worth his salt must set aside the fear of ridicule - and dribbling - to master the art of spitting with style.

For the past four years the French Independent Winegrowers Fair, which took place last week in Paris, has staged a "Golden Spitter" test to spread best practice among wine buffs, with a zest of humor.

"To taste properly, it's true you have to spit - even if the word is unpleasant," said the fair's president Xavier de Volontat.