Are you a jaded diner in the big city? Everyone gets stuck in a rut at times, especially with wine. This might be the reason the French invented the drama that surrounded the release of Beaujolais Nouveau, which by tradition is released the third Thursday of every November.

In Manhattan — along with many other foodie cities around the world — restaurants get into the act by creating special prix fixe meals to be paired with this light, fruity, high-acid, low-tannin wine. I'm curious to see how one of my favorite Manhattan chefs, Julian Alonzo of The Patina Restaurant Group's Brasserie 8½, would rise to the task, I stopped in to check it out.

First and foremost, Brasserie 8½ is a gorgeous space on 57th street in mid-town near Fifth Avenue where you can zip in after shopping at Gucci and Louis Vuitton. Descend a gorgeous curving staircase to the bar, where nicely dressed office workers from the sleek building above are busily chatting. The dining room, however, is relaxed and tranquil in style.

The regular menu features classic dishes with a modern slant, and I love it because of Alonso's very light touch in terms of sauces and his accent on ultra- fresh produce, meats, fish, and seafood (the raw bar is incredible). On this night I'm here to see how Alonso matches Beaujolais with what's available to him in the mid-November market.

Beaujolais is produced in a 34-mile region in the south of Burgundy (home of ultra $$$ Pinot Noir) and made from the fruity Gamay grape. One of the many rules in this region is that all the grapes must be picked by hand, so as you sip your Beaujolais Nouveau, give a passing thought to the hard working villagers who choose the grapes now represented in your glass.

The reason the wine has a "nouveau" added to the name is that, unlike the Grand Cru Beaujolais wines produced in the traditional method, this wine is quickly fermented via carbonic maceration to preserve the fresh, fruity quality of the fruit without extracting the bitter tannins from the grape skins. This inherent fruitiness is what gives chefs challenges when it comes to appropriate food pairing.