Wines with the quality indication “Cava” traditionally consist of a mixture of the juice of three indigenous grape varieties: xarello, macabeo and pearl lada (although other varieties are sometimes used, according to the method of the second fermentation of at least nine months in the bottle ( metodo tradicional). This method can be compared to the traditional method. For that reason, cava is sometimes referred to as “Spanish Champagne”, but this is a winegrowing error, since only sparkling wine from the Champagne region may bear the name Champagne. Compare: one does not speak of “Spanish Alsace wine” for example. One of the conditions for Spain’s accession to the European Union was the removal of all terms that could lead to confusion with the protected French Champagne. A law and a supervisory committee have been monitoring the constant quality of the cava since November 1991. A real cava can be recognized by the four-pointed star at the bottom of the cork. In addition, cava can also receive a denominació d’origen (designation of origin) if it is made in a well-defined region.