Duriense is a Portuguese wine

Portuguese wine

Portuguese wine is the result of traditions introduced to the region by ancient civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, and mostly the Romans. Portugal started to export its wines to Rome during the Roman Empire. Modern exports developed with trade to England after the...

 region covering the same area as the Douro DOC and the Port wine

Port wine

Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties...

 region. In difference from Douro DOC, Duriense VR is a designation at the lower Vinho Regional (VR) level, which corresponds to table wine

Table wine

Table wine is a wine term with two different meanings: a wine style; and a quality level within wine classification.In the United States, table wine primarily designates a wine style - ordinary wine which is neither fortified nor sparkling....

s with a geographical indication under European Union wine regulations

European Union wine regulations

European Union wine regulations are common legislation related to wine existing within the European Union , the member states of which account for almost two-thirds of the world's wine production...

, similar to a French vin de pays

Vin de pays

Vin de pays is a French term meaning "country wine". Vins de pays are a step in the French wine classification which is above the table wine classification, but below the VDQS and Appellation d'origine contrôlée classifications...

region. Thus, it is the simpler or less typical wines of the Douro region that are sold using a Duriense VR label.

Before the creation of a separate Duriense VR, the Douro vineyards were part of the former Trás-os-Montes VR

Tras-os-Montes VR

Trás-os-Montes is a Portuguese wine region located in the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region. The entire wine region is entitled to use the Vinho Regional designation Transmontano VR, while some areas are also classified at the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada level under the designation...

, which is now called Transmontano VR and no longer includes the Douro vineyards.