I live in the UK and current recommendation from the home winemaking stores in the middle of England (including some commercial wineries I know) is to ferment then use finings and bottle as soon after that as possible. To back that up, glass carboys are fairly scarce compared to plastic carboys and buckets. When I have asked why that is I have been asked why I would want the wine to stay in glass to age rather than in the bottle and told it is unnecessary and not 'particularly' beneficial.
Now I tend to poo-poo this and go with the advice of this group, the rest of the world (and CJJ Berry's sage old advice) to at least settle the wine out naturally (if at all possible) before bottling and maturing therein. I haven't enough personal experience to back this up, it just seems logical to avoid fining unless absolutely necessary.
I know the UK isn't widely considered to be a world-class winemaking region (though I gather we have, at least once, come first in a world winemaking category). I can't help wondering:
# Why is the advice given here so different to that which (I gather) is given everywhere else in the world?
# Why would people in the UK be fixating on a fast and less crafted winemaking experience if that is the case? Perhaps the market for home winemaking is declining here and new winemakers are only attracted to make their own if it is very quick and easy?
# How much difference is there in the end product?
# Has anyone done side by side tests to determine the difference in result between wines which have been fermented, fined and bottle aged vs wines which have been gravity cleared, bulk aged and then bottled?
I would be interested to hear considered opinion or fact on this... Best wishes to all of you at this most productive time of year!
Jim