Well as far as drinking right after fermentation, it depends on the yeast, temp., and starting product. I've had wine that was good right out of the gate and I've had some that took a year to be good.
I do use sorbate and k-meta. Sorbate to stall the fermentation (keeps yeast from reproducing) and k-meta (sulfate to help preserve the final product.
If you don't use sorbate and try and backsweeten you can create bottle bombs, blowing corks all over the place.
You wine will keep a year or so without k-meta but it will keep better with it, it kills bacteria.
You ca. Also use k-meta to sanitize your equipment.
Never use bleach on anything used in your wine making process.
Only buy glass carboys, because if you decide you really like this hobby then you will at some point want a all in one vaccum pump. Not only can you rack it between carboys, you degass (remove CO2), and you can also bottle very easy using the pump.