I think that your take on such matters as subtle flavours in food and 'higher' arts such as opera may depend a little on where you live. I'm not trying to be a geographical snob, I just have a sense that the socially and culturally acceptable norm for masculine behaviour and interests can vary from place to place (and is also subject to fashion).
An example would be that in the UK there has been a huge explosion interest in cookery and dining in the television and printed media. There are very many (too many?) celebrity chefs out there with their TV series and bestselling books. Some of them look fairly tough and macho (ever hear of Gordon Ramsey?). Every man feels comfortable holding forth on the virtues of intricate dishes - certainly rosemary in gravy would be no big deal. No-one's going to check for a panty line on a guy who is enthusing about herbs.
Maybe in Kansas it's different.
