BEARING in mind the strongly original character of our interviewee, the selected bottle needs to be of beat, individualistic, daringly different. Good Mexican wine may sound like just another Hungry Monk joke, but L.A. Cetto Petite Syrah 1988 (stockists above, about £6.99) is a marvellous surprise. Try this mouthful of blackberry richness from Baja California and you'll see how it came to be Red Wine of the Year in the 1995 International Wine Challenge. Terrific for a change, and even better, a cracking bargain.