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[iNews24 reporter Kim Da-woon] Chef Ahn Seong-jae has publicly addressed the recent wine mix-up controversy at his fine-dining restaurant, Mosu.
On the 6th, Ahn posted on Mosu’s Instagram: \”This is Ahn Seong-jae. I sincerely apologize for the disappointing and inadequate service that occurred at my restaurant, Mosu.\”
Earlier, a post on an online forum alleged that guests had been the victims of a wine switch at Mosu in Seoul.
According to the poster, the party ordered a 2000 vintage but the sommelier served a 2005 vintage instead — a bottle roughly 100,000 KRW (approximately $75) cheaper — which sparked the dispute.
Ahn said he accepts full responsibility for everything that happened at Mosu, but added that since some misunderstandings that don’t reflect the facts are spreading, he felt it was his duty to explain in detail how the incident occurred.
He explained that the table should have received four glasses of the 2000 vintage, but the assigned sommelier mistakenly served the 2005 vintage and introduced it as such.
Ahn said that after the staff finished describing the wine, they realized the wrong bottle had been served. Before they could notify the guests, the diners asked for a photo of the label, and at that moment the staff made the poor judgment to present a label that matched the vintage being claimed.
They should have explained the situation to the guests first, but instead they produced a 2000 vintage bottle that did not match the wine already poured.
When the guests complained after noticing the mismatch, Ahn acknowledged that the sommelier replied inappropriately — for example, saying that a 2000 vintage bottle had been ordered and was on the first floor.
The sommelier later poured the 2000 vintage for the guests but failed to appreciate the seriousness of the situation, making an offhand comment along the lines of, \”Since you’re studying wine, I hope my mistake allowed you to compare the 2000 and 2005 vintages.\”
Ahn said the front-of-house manager had only a partial report. After confirming that the 2000 vintage had been re-served, the manager instructed the team to offer dessert wine as well. The front-of-house staff considered the matter closed, and Ahn said he received a report on April 21, after a two-day break.
He admitted that, in hindsight, the handling of the error was inadequate at every step, and that customers’ disappointment was understandable given the level of service they expect from Mosu.
He added that the sommelier was asked to submit a written account according to company policy and has been removed from the role serving guests’ wines. \”We will tighten oversight and do everything possible to prevent this from happening again,\” he said.
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