This was posted Thursday, March 23, 2017 by Rodney Ho on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog TV networks love spinoffs the way movie studios love sequels.Familiarity matters in such a cluttered TV environment. That’s why there are four Dick Wolf “Chicago” dramas on NBC and three “NCIS” shows on CBS. It’s why Bravo has seven “Real Housewives” shows, including its top-rated Atlanta take. It’s why VH1 has three “Love and Hip Hop” franchises. (Again, the most popular one happens to be the Atlanta version.) HGTV is now planning five spinoffs of “Flip or Flop,” including one out of Atlanta. The network for four years has had success with the original “Flip or Flop” featuring California couple Tarek and Christina El Moussa, who are now on gossip magazine covers after a nasty divorce. Other locations for shows include Las Vegas (set to debut April 6), Nashville, Texas and Chicago. The Atlanta “Flip or Flop” will debut in August and feature Anita and Ken Corsini.

The HGTV website says they flip more than 100 houses a year in the metro area. Their Facebook page says they run Red Barn Homes. VH1 debuted “Black Ink Crew” out of New York in 2013 and added a Chicago version in 2015. Now it’s shooting an Atlanta version though again, I don’t have any details. Back in January, they were seeking for a black-owned tattoo shop to focus on. And WE-TV has shot an Atlanta version of “Growing Up Hip Hop” featuring kids of famous hip-hop stars but has not announced it officially. Ink Master Black Ink Crew. Kevin Laroy had a constant case of what he calls "swamp hands" while competing on the most recent season of Spike TV’s Ink Master. Sweating palms may seem like a major setback during a televised tattoo competition, but Laroy managed to beat out more than two dozens artists on the show and eventually catch the attention of VH1 producers.“It was the biggest season to date and started off with 30 contestants, including world famous artists such as Kelly Doty and Nate Beavers,” Laroy says.

“Not only am I competing against these people but every move I make, right or wrong, is being carefully documented for the world to see, then judged by some of the biggest personalities in our industry.”Laroy moved to Dallas with his family when he was 15 years old. “My entire life we moved around a lot, but Dallas is where we spent the most time and where I've become most comfortable,” he says. “I learned how to drive in Dallas. I graduated high school in Dallas, and the start of my career began in Dallas.”wine gift boxes londonThat career began in 2006 after an apprenticeship under friend and local tattoo artist Mani Ramos. best wine gifts for wine lovers“I was so apprehensive at first, but even after my mom's disapproval, I was there the next day with pen and paper in hand, ready to take notes,” Laroy says. best wine to have with thanksgiving turkey

“It's been a crazy ride ever since.” Juneteenth Jazz Jam ft. Martha Burks A Time To Laugh - Hosted by Nephew Tommy Feat Cedric the Entertainer The Black Academy Of Arts And Letters While filming Ink Master, which Laroy describes as one of the most intense and memorable experiences of his life, VH1’s Black Ink Crew producers reached out to him with another opportunity. He was introduced at the end of the reality show’s fifth season.After all he has done and accomplished, Laroy is still obsessed with the Dallas tattoo scene. best boxed wine available in canada“Aside from housing some of the best artists in the country like Francisco Sanchez, Zack Singer and Rember Orellana, [Dallas] just seems like a big extended family,” he says. best cheap fruity red wine“Even though we all work at different shops, everyone knows each other and I've learned so much from some of the most talented artists in the industry residing locally in the ‘Triple D.’”If you’ve seen him onscreen or are one of his 68,000 Instagram followers, then you know Laroy is best known for his portraiture. good dry white wine cheap

He has tattooed what he calls “pop-culture pieces” of Will Smith, Biggie, Tupac, Pharrell and Michael Jackson, to name a few. “I like to think that I have a photo-realistic style with a stylized approach,” Laroy says. “Typically, portrait work is one style or the other but I try my best to mesh both. It's similar to that of an ordinary photograph being run through Photoshop and made into a sticker. I like soft blends and the occasional clean, bold outline.” While he’s known for his lifelike portraits, Laroy especially loves tattooing roses. “I recently stepped out of my stylized box and attempted an actual photo-realistic white rose that I was super proud of,” he says. “Weirdly using very little white ink.”Laroy is preparing for Season 6 of Black Ink Crew, filmed in Harlem. Follow him on Instagram @Kevin.Laroy for more information on how to book an appointment. Sorry, an error occurred while processing your request.Here we have two rather different styles from Right Bank Bordeaux, dominated by the Merlot grape.

Compared to Moueix, I get more heat, noticeable extraction and/or dryness from Nicolas Thienpont and Stéphane Derenoncourt, but they are talented in their style of making wine – no doubt about that. It has been about two weeks since I tasted barrel samples of wines made by the very friendly Nicolas Thienpont, often in cooperation with famous winemaker/consultant Stephane Derenoncourt and David Suire. But I take time now to address the wines, after having tried the 2010 and 2009 vintages of Derenoncourt’s own Domaine de l’A (AOC Cotes de Castillon) in Wettolsheim, Alsace, on 29 April.Because his wife Christine Derenoncourt flew to Alsace to present her and her husband’s wine along with a fine selection of wines from Domaine Albert Mann for professionals. The Barthelmé family is friends with the Derenoncourt couple. Now I did enjoy from magnum the 2004 Domaine de l’A. It went very well with a freshly roasted on a spit, just recently hunted down wild boar. The 2004 exuded delicious truffle like tertiary notes, and – by the nature of the vintage – was not coming across as overly concentrated or rich.

Just a fine vintage, fresh and delicious. A point, as the French say, for drinking today. Though I was somewhat duly “impressed” perhaps by the sheer weight of the 2009 and 2010 vintages, I found them also to be a bit heavy handed – and very dark, inky black, in color. OK, backers would say that they are far too young and that in time they will become marvels. But I prefer youthful wines with more freshness – and not just massive concentration. Anyway, after enjoying a lovely day at Domaine Albert Mann – and tasting some great wines from Alsace, notes to be posted later – I was reminded of the notable contrast between the Right Bank barrel samples of Moueix with those tasted  on the same on Tuesday 9 April at Château Pavie Macquin. We are talking about two widely respected yet different styles. Click here for COMPLETE NOTES from the Moueix tasting and then read on… Now, I have been impressed by improvements that Derenoncourt has brought to some estates.

His clients in Bordeaux are numerous and include wines I really like, such as Domaine de Chevalier in Leognan and Clos Fourtet in Saint Emilion.  Derenoncourt also makes wine in Austria, India, Italy, Lebanon, Spain, Syria, Turkey and the United States and has long become a “rival” or at least as well known as that other famous Bordeaux flying winemaker/consultant Michel Rolland. So what is his goal for the wines he helps to craft? , Derenoncourt said that his focus is “balance and elegance”. OK, sometimes I get that. For example, I really liked how he worked with Chateau Beausejour Duffau Lagarrosse in 2010. But other times, I get quite the opposite. , at Chateau Pavie Macquin, with Nicolas Thienpont and David Suire. I think it is safe to say that Nicolas and David follow in the style of Derenoncourt. Château Puygueraud (Bordeaux Cotes de Francs) Since 1983, Nicolas Thienpont has been in charge of making the wines here. I have generally liked this wine in the past but this barrel sample served as a noticeable contrast to the barrel samples I had just tasted at Moueix beforehand.

I noticed immediately a “heavier” style, a style that is more monolithic that I like less because it exudes less freshness. But not exactly my style. A touch drying on the finish. Château La Prade (Cotes de Francs) Acquired by Nicolas Thienpont in 2000. This barrel sample is darker and exudes dark fruits, too. There is greater richness to the mid palate, a plus, but then we get a finish that is marked by oak derivation and somewhat drying tannin. Château Alcée (Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux) Thienpont purchased this 3 hectare estate in 2011. There is a more raw and even rough aspect to this sample, and the tannins seem edgier. Château Trimoulet (Saint Emilion Grand Cru) Belonging to the same family (Jean) since … 1802, the estate has been under the consultation of both Thienpont and Suire since 2011 and they have, according to the brochure we were given, “revolutionized both viticulture and winemaking methods to reveal all potential of this terroir”.

The nose from this sample was certainly rich, and the palate concentrated fruit. Yet, again, there is a noticeable drying aspect on the finish. Where is the freshness??? Château Berliquet (Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé) One of the oldest vineyards in Saint Emilion – I recall visiting in 2002, and meeting for the first time a very witty Clive Coates after having seen the limestone tunnels there (one of just a few estates that have them). Owned since 1996 by Patrick de Lesquen, the estate has been under the winemaking guidance of Nicolas Thienpont and Stéphane Derenoncourt since 2008. Certainly this sample is a noticeable step up, marked by more precision and evident flavors on the palate. But still, I feel a lack of freshness, a lack of balancing acidity that one encounters at the Moueix stable. Château Larcis Ducasse (Saint Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé B) This barrel sample represents the first vintage for the estate as promoted to premier status… Owners since 1893, the Gratiot Attmane family in 2002 hired Thienpont and Suire – who benefit from the “advice” of Derenoncourt as written in the brochure – to “combine traditional methods and innovative techniques to enhance the flavors of this earth”.

I recall Larcis Ducasse being a “charming wine” for example in 1997. But it was never a Parker Darling. So here, I see that the wine has improved in some ways, less of a wall flower – for example. And this barrel sample shows, at last, a bit of freshness, compared to the previous samples. As previously noted the day before, in a blind tasting, the attack is rather supple, with fine intensity of flavor on the palate, plum like fruit, a longish finish. OK, the tannins are a tad aggressive on the mid palate (this could just be due to the vintage), but they are also “contained” – in that they do not exactly assault your gums. I can sense the 65% new oak, particularly on the aromas, and a slight sense of being “made up” – again, in comparison to the fresher style one obtains chez Moueix. But this is not bad at all in the context of the vintage. Château Pavie Macquin (Saint Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé B) Since 1994, Nicolas Thienpoint manages this estate and relies on the counsel of Stéphane Derenoncourt to, as the brochure notes, “tame the natural power of the terroir and achieve elegance and find the power of elegance.”

Well, I found more power … than elegance! Certainly the nose – as tasted the day before in a blind assessment – exuded intriguing clove and spice, some of which came from oak derivation. The palate again came across with medium flavor intensity, but exuded a somewhat drying quality, and did not give off the necessary freshness to be truly described as “elegant”. Anyone who would compare, say, Chateau Canon with this wine, could sense the difference. Canon is truly elegant. Pavie Macquin has more power and conveys its extraction. Château Beausejour Duffau Lagarrosse (Saint Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé B) Property of the Duffau Lagarrosse heirs since the mid 19th century, this Premier Grand Cru Classé enjoys a superb terroir. Since 2009, the winemaking has been managed by Nicolas Thienpont and David Suire. I liked the 2010 from barrel, although the oak derivation was somewhat noticeable – and the sample was not as fresh as, say, Figeac or Canon. I have not yet tasted the 2010 from bottle, but will try to do so in a vertical during Vinexpo.

In any case this 2012 is (perhaps not surprisingly) the best barrel sample of them all tasted at Pavie Macquin. OK, the color is black ink… but the nose is very endearing, very aromatic, and the attack is supple building to a sap filled mid palate (nicely done!), but… Yes, there is a but. It does dry out just a bit, yet again. I can feel the extraction, whereas a wine like La Fleur Petrus, Latour a Pomerol or Trotanoy… you do not feel any extraction, you get a sense of seamlessness. So, in the context of style, you will get more oomph and power no doubt from BSDL, but the greater elegance, the freshness, you will find elsewhere! Many thanks to Nicolas Thienpont and to David Suire for hosting the tasting. I appreciate the hard work that they put into their wines, and applaud them. But they would understand that there are subjective tastes to wines… I want to revisit their wines each year and continue to assess their progress, especially in bottle. See my notes for barrel samples from the other Bordeaux appellations in 2012: