Taylors Wines has launched a new Syrah from Adelaide Hills in South Australia, targeting drinkers who want lighter red wines to pair with Asian cuisine and home-cooked meals.
The shift reflects two overlapping consumer trends. Cost-of-living pressures are pushing more people to eat at home, where lighter-style reds pair better with dishes like stir-fried beef and Asian-inspired cooking. At the same time, Pinot Noir and Rosé have already seen strong growth over the past decade, with consumer demand now extending into lighter expressions of traditionally fuller-bodied wines like Shiraz.
Wine Style and Production
Taylors' Syrah sits at 13 to 13.5% alcohol, compared with about 14% for their typical Shiraz. Company Director Justin Taylor emphasized that achieving a lighter style was the main driver, not lower alcohol alone. The cooler-climate Adelaide Hills region naturally produces wines with softer tannins and red berry characteristics rather than darker fruit notes, creating what the winery describes as a more elegant, approachable style.
The Syrah represents an alternative to New Zealand Pinot Noir for drinkers ready to explore other lighter-style reds as their eating occasions and food choices evolve.
Market Strategy
Taylors is positioning the wine against broader consumption shifts. Lighter-style white wines have trended for some time, but the red wine shift is more recent. The winery sees particularly strong demand for this style in Canada and China over the next two to three years, markets where cuisines pair well with lighter reds.
New Zealand serves as the initial test market. The Syrah category there is already well developed, and initial performance has been encouraging so far.
Future Plans
Taylors plans to continue exploring lighter-style red wines as part of its innovation pipeline, including further work in Pinot Noir and Rosé, and experiments with how different grape varieties can be expressed in lighter, more approachable styles. The winery will stay committed to its core varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Riesling.