Gonzales Bistro named 2023 Wine Spectator award winner

In less than one year since its opening, the Gonzales Bistro has managed to earn impressive kudos from one of the world’s most prestigious wine industry magazines.

Chef Parind Vora’s restaurant was named a 2023 Wine Spectator Restaurant Award of Excellence winner last month — one of just 3,500 restaurants worldwide to be honored by the publication this year.

“We are the only award winner for the entirety of Gonzales County and only one of 32 restaurants between Austin, Georgetown and San Antonio,” Vora said. “This is a global award so it puts Gonzales on the map worldwide.”

The upscale restaurant, located on Saint George Street just off Independence Square, bills itself as a “chef-driven restaurant offering an assortment of great appetizers and hearty, full portioned main courses, in addition to a full bar serving craft cocktails, beer, and wine by the glass or bottle.”

Cuisine served at the restaurant is primarily American and French and the restaurant does have a prix fixe menu (fixed price for a full three-course menu at a set rate). The cost of a typical two-course meal, not including beverages or tips, is often less than $40 per person, which is considered to be inexpensive among gourmet eateries.

Vora, who is not only owner but also chef and wine director for the restaurant, is a classically trained chef born in Mumbai, India, whose family emigrated to the U.S. in 1976. Since arriving he has lived in New York City, West Virginia and South Carolina. He has appeared on many TV shows including Chopped and Best New Restaurant.

Wine Spectator's Restaurant Awards recognize restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.

To qualify for an award, a wine list must present complete, accurate information, including vintages and appellations for all selections. Complete producer names and correct spellings are mandatory, and the overall presentation of the list is also considered. Lists that meet these requirements are judged for one of three awards.

Award of Excellence — 2,001 winners
These wine lists, which should offer at least 90 selections, feature a well-chosen assortment of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style. Whether compact or extensive, focused or diverse, these lists deliver sufficient choice to satisfy discerning wine lovers.

Gonzales Bistro, which earned this award, has nearly 100 different wine selections and a wine cellar stocked with more than 1,000 bottles sure to entice any oenophiles (wine lover). Vintages are strongest from California, Italy and France and are considered to be relatively inexpensive, with great selections available for under $50 per bottle. A full food and wine menu can be found at https://www.gonzalesbistro.com/menu.

“Inexpensive lists offer many bottles for less than $50, while also exhibiting a below-normal markup (generally considered to be two to two-and-a half times the wholesale bottle price). These lists offer uncommon value,” the magazine notes. “Pricing is not a judging criterion, it is merely provided as a guide for the reader.”

Wine Spectator noted that their awards are based on evaluation of “wine lists, not restaurants as a whole.”

“Although we assume that the level of food and service will be commensurate with the quality of the wine lists, this unfortunately is not always true,” the magazine wrote.

Vora first opened his restaurant in 2015 in Lockhart before relocating to Gonzales in 2022. He has been a Wine Spectator award recipient since 2020.

Best of Award of Excellence — 1,411 winners
These wine lists display excellent breadth across multiple wine-growing regions and/or significant vertical depth of top producers, along with superior presentation. Typically offering 350 or more selections, these restaurants are destinations for serious wine lovers, showing a deep commitment to wine, both in the cellar and through their service team.

Grand Award — 93 winners
Wine Spectator’s highest award, given to restaurants that show an uncompromising, passionate devotion to the quality of their wine programs. These wine lists typically feature 1,000 or more selections, and deliver serious breadth of top producers, outstanding depth in mature vintages, a selection of large-format bottles, excellent harmony with the menu, and superior presentation. These restaurants offer the highest level of wine service.

To explore these great dining spots for enjoying wine, head to WineSpectator.com’s free-access Restaurant Search, which features all of Wine Spectator’s 2023 Restaurant Award winners searchable by name, location, cuisine type, wine strengths, pricing and award level. To access restaurant recommendations on the go, try Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards app, available free in the App Store. All award winners are also featured in the Aug. 31, 2023, issue of Wine Spectator (available on newsstands July 11), which goes into more depth on how restaurants are securing their livelihoods in the face of technological advancement.