Meanings
alternative old wine in new bottles
- idiomaticuncountableAn existing concept or institution offered as though it were a new one.
Finally, some critics argue that evolutionary psychology is old wine in a new bottle — the old instinct theory in a new package.
2003, Stephen M Colarelli, No Best Way1 more example
Police reform advocate Robert Gangi called the plan “old wine in a new bottle” that relied “mainly on punitive law enforcement tactics”.
2022 February 6, Lauren Gambino, quoting Robert Gangi, “Can Biden tackle rising crime without abandoning police reform promise?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
Origin
A reference to the parable of Jesus of New Wine into Old Wineskins, Matthew 9:14–17, Mark 2:21–22, and Luke 5:33–39.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 新瓶裝舊酒 /新瓶装旧酒
- 新瓶裝舊酒 /新瓶装旧酒 (xīn píng zhuāng jiù jiǔ)existing concept or institution presented as if new
Danish gammel vin på nye flasker
- gammel vin på nye flaskerexisting concept or institution presented as if new
Dutch oude wijn in nieuwe flessen
- oude wijn in nieuwe flessenexisting concept or institution presented as if new
Finnish vanhaa viiniä uudessa pullossa
- vanhaa viiniä uudessa pullossaexisting concept or institution presented as if new
German alter Wein in neuen Schläuchen, Altes in neuem Gewand
- alter Wein in neuen Schläuchenexisting concept or institution presented as if new
- Altes in neuem Gewandexisting concept or institution presented as if new
- dasselbe in grünexisting concept or institution presented as if new
Hungarian régi bor új tömlőben, régi bort új tömlőbe
- régi bor új tömlőbenexisting concept or institution presented as if new
- régi bort új tömlőbeexisting concept or institution presented as if new
Persian ارایه ایده ای کهنه در لباسی نو
- ارایه ایده ای کهنه در لباسی نوexisting concept or institution presented as if new
Polish stare wino w nowych bukłakach
- stare wino w nowych bukłakachexisting concept or institution presented as if new
Russian но́вое вино́ в ве́тхие ме́хи
- но́вое вино́ в ве́тхие ме́хи (nóvoje vinó v vétxije méxi)existing concept or institution presented as if new
Spanish el mismo perro con distinto collar
- el mismo perro con distinto collarexisting concept or institution presented as if new
Swedish gammalt vin i en ny flaska
- gammalt vin i en ny flaskaexisting concept or institution presented as if new
Vietnamese bình mới rượu cũ
- bình mới rượu cũexisting concept or institution presented as if new
Cite this entry
old wine in a new bottle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/old%20wine%20in%20a%20new%20bottle
“old wine in a new bottle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/old%20wine%20in%20a%20new%20bottle. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “old wine in a new bottle,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/old%20wine%20in%20a%20new%20bottle.
Source: old wine in a new bottle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.