Wine Mix-Up Scandal: Chef Ahn Sung-jae’s Mosu Seoul Issues Apology for Vintage Confusion

[MyDaily = Reporter Park Seoyeon] Mosu Seoul, the fine-dining restaurant led by Chef Ahn Seong-jae, has apologized after a controversy over an alleged wine switch.

On April 23, Mosu Seoul posted a lengthy apology on its official account. The restaurant said that during its wine-pairing service on April 19, 2026, guests received unclear guidance that caused confusion, and the follow-up explanation fell short—leaving diners disappointed. They offered a sincere apology.

The statement added that staff had personally apologized to the guest involved, and the guest accepted that apology graciously. Still, Mosu acknowledged that their response didn’t meet the expectations diners place on a restaurant of their standing.

Chef Ahn Seong-jae and the entire Mosu team said they are taking the matter very seriously. They will review their service procedures, promise steps to prevent a recurrence, and emphasize that their response will be substantive rather than performative. Their aim is to rebuild trust with guests through genuine action.

The message closed by offering another apology to all customers who have shown Mosu Seoul continued trust and support.

An earlier post on an online community alleged that Mosu had swapped the vintage of a wine during service.

The poster, identified as A, said they visited Mosu Seoul recently and noticed a problem during the wine pairing. The menu listed Château Léoville Barton, 2000 vintage, but the sommelier brought a 2005 instead. When A found the taste and aroma different from what they expected and asked for confirmation, the sommelier reportedly replied that the 2000 bottle was on the first floor and offered to let them taste the 2000 vintage.

A said they didn’t want to spoil a pleasant dinner, so they agreed and continued. On Mosu’s wine list, the two vintages had a 100,000 KRW (approximately 75 USD) price gap. When A asked to take a photo, staff said, “Just a moment,” then produced and placed the 2000 bottle in front of them, which led A to suspect staff knew about the discrepancy from the start. A questioned whether a sommelier at a two-Michelin-star restaurant would make such an error, and found the offer to “let you taste it” odd. There was no apology that night, and A said the handling and response were very disappointing.

The full text of Mosu Seoul’s apology follows

Hello, this is Mosu Seoul.

We bow our heads and apologize regarding the matter that recently surfaced on online communities.

On April 19, 2026, we failed to provide accurate guidance during our wine-pairing service, which caused confusion. We also failed to offer a sufficient explanation in the follow-up response, which caused great disappointment. We sincerely apologize.

After the incident, we personally apologized to the guest, and they graciously accepted our apology. Still, we take it seriously that our response did not meet the expectations customers place on our restaurant.

Chef Ahn Seong-jae and the entire Mosu team treat this matter with the utmost seriousness. We will review our entire service process and promise to prevent recurrence. We will not offer a perfunctory apology; we will rebuild trust with our guests through sincere actions.

We once again apologize to all customers who have given Mosu Seoul their continued trust and affection.

April 23, 2026

From all of us at Mosu Seoul

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