Jesus pairs the image of patching an old garment with another familiar material problem: putting new wine into old wineskins.
Jesus in Context
New Wine and Old Wineskins
Wine could be stored in skin containers, and newly fermenting wine required a container capable of tolerating increasing internal pressure.
Introduction
Historical and Cultural Context
The bottles of some older English translations are containers made from animal hide. Wine continued to ferment after pressing, producing gas and pressure. A suitable flexible skin could accommodate that process, while an older skin that had become less flexible was more vulnerable to splitting.
Why It Matters
The ancient container explains Jesus' warning that both wine and wineskin can be lost. The image concerns the incompatibility of new fermenting wine with an unsuitable old container.