The President of the Republic presided at the inaugural act of the Leonor de Freitas Cellars, of Casa Ermelinda Freitas, in Fernando Pó, Palmela, and decorated individualities connected with wine growing in the southern region.

After visiting the Ermelinda Freitas museum, President Cavaco Silva toured the new cellars and the bottling and labelling facilities.

Later, in a ceremony dedicated to wine growing, the President decorated individualities connected to the industry in the southern region.

Decorated with the grade of Commander of the Order of Entrepreneurial Merit – Class of Agricultural Merit were: David Baverstock (Alentejo, Algarve, Esporão Estate), oenologist Jaime Fernando Miguel da Silva Quendera (Casa Ermelinda Freitas and Pegões Winemaking Cooperative Society), João Manuel Mota Barroso (Évora University and Borba Winemaking Cooperative Society), José Luis Santos Lima Oliveira da Silva (Casa Santos Lima, Alenquer), Luis António Moura Duarte (Oenologist of the Year 1997, 2007 and 2014 – Alentejo), Paulo António Canhão Laureano (Mouchão and Vidigueira), and Vasco Torre do Valle d’Avillez (Chairman of the Lisbon Region Winemaking Commission).

Painter and plastic artist connected with wine Mário da Conceição Rocha da Silva was decorated with the grade of Commander of the Order of Merit.