MULLED WINE STANDS SPARK FUROR IN COLOGNE

Outdoor stands offering mulled wine have become popular with locals in Cologne eager to claw back a sense of normality over the festive period. However, vendors face criticism from others who see the stalls and their surroundings as potential super-spreader sites, Deutsche Welle (DW) reported.

Mulled wine is actually spiced wine, usually red wine, and is served hot following tradition that started in the 2nd century, with Roman soldiers trying to get warm during the winter by heating the wine and lacing it with raisins, anise, cloves, lemon and cinnamon and a variety of spices. Called “ypocras” after Hippocrates, who used a cloth sieve for his wine, the British called the concoction “mulled wine” only in the 1600s.

Karl Lauterbach, an epidemiologist and parliamentary representative with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), sharply criticized the stands, saying that over the weekend they were full. He also said he saw no authorities checking to ensure coronavirus rules were being adhered to. “The mulled wine stands undermine our social distancing restrictions. I don't understand why the city of Cologne allows this," Lauterbach wrote on Twitter on Sunday. "In the end, this comes at the cost of new infections and deaths," he added.

Mulled wine stands have sprung up not only in Cologne, where In late November, several bars in Cologne launched a "mulled wine walking tour" through the city's Südstadt neighborhood. Stands set up outside sell customers mulled wine in paper cups, with locals encouraged to move on and not linger. What started as a handful of stands has rapidly expanded into dozens that are spread out across the city. While many restaurant owners say the rules are being adhered to, long lines and crowding have prompted some local residents to alert authorities. City officials have defended the vendors.