# put new wine in old bottles

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/put-new-wine-in-old-bottles
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To introduce a new idea, method, or innovation into an established, outdated or inflexible system or organization.

## Examples

- You cannot put new wine in old bottles to fix this company.
- The board tried to modernize the firm, but putting new wine in old bottles failed because the culture remained rigid.
- By attempting to implement radical digital reforms within such a stagnant bureaucracy, the director was merely putting new wine in old bottles.

## Origin

From new wine in an old bottle. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.