I’ve recently decided to try my hand at home brewing wine. The instructions tell me to brew for a certain number of days, then clear for a certain number of days, then to syphon off the clear wine and bottle. According to the instructions, the clear wine will be drinkable immediately, but will improve if left to mature for a few months.
Well, my first batch was utterly undrinkable when first syphoned. So I bottled it. now three months later the taste has improved, somewhat. It’s not exactly good, but it is at least drinkable.
So, what changes happened to the wine during those three months? What made the taste improve so much? Chemically speaking, what is the difference, and what causes the change?