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Lowburn is a small sub-region of Central Otago on the banks of Lake Dunstan. Its history goes back to the days of the Otago gold rush of the 1860s, when settlers flocked to the mountains and rivers in Central Otago in search of fortune. Lowburn was the site of an important ferry crossing for miners moving between the mines at Bendigo and the town of Cromwell. Now, it is an important spot for wine production, producing rich, fruit-driven red wines from Pinot Noir.

Located on the south-western banks of the lake, Lowburn is just a few miles north of Cromwell and the wine region of Bannockburn. The region's vineyards stretch up the eastern slopes of the Pisa mountain range and around the edges of the Sugarloaf Hill, a large, flat-topped terrace that sits high above the lake.

Lake Dunstan plays a central role in the terroir of the Cromwell Basin – the collective term for the wine regions of Lowburn, Pisa, Bannockburn, Northburn and Bendigo. This wasn't always the case, as the construction of the Clyde Dam near Alexandra in the 1990s flooded the Clutha River in the Cromwell Basin to create a large body of water. Much of Lowburn's lower ground was lost to the lake, and vineyards moved up onto higher sites.

Lowburn enjoys the same dry, warm climate as the rest of the Cromwell Basin. Very hot days are followed by much colder nights, extending the growing season and contributing to the development of both rich fruit flavors and acidity in the grapes. The low rainfall gives the growers a good deal of control over the vineyards through the use of irrigation, which comes from Lake Dunstan. By limiting water, they can reduce vigor and encourage the production of small, highly flavored grapes.

Gravelly schist soils provide an infertile, rapidly drained base for the vineyards, which often sit on steep, sunny slopes. The stress that these soils inflict on the vines is highly conducive to premium viticulture. Stressed vines will focus their energies on creating high-quality grapes rather than leafy foliage, and will grow deep root systems to access the water deeper in the earth.

Pinot Noir is by far the most-planted variety in Lowburn, but there are also plantings of Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Gris.