Exegesis:

[kai] oudeis piōn palaion thelei neon ‘and nobody who has been drinking old (wine) wants new.’ With palaion and neon is understood oinon. The clause, together with, and explained by what follows, is explained variously. Since, however, the parable seems to hinge on the taste of the old wine, rather than on the comparative merits of both, the most likely interpretation is that of Plummer i.e. that it is only natural that those who have been brought up under the old are unwilling to abandon it for something untried.

ho palaios chrēstos estin ‘the old is good.’

chrēstos (also 6.35) of things ‘of good quality,’ ‘pleasant.’

Translation:

The structure of the first sentence may have to be changed, e.g. ‘no one desires new wine, after he has drunk old wine’ (Balinese), or, ‘no one drinks old wine, and then desires new (wine).’

For to desire (also in 8.20; 10.24, 29; 16.21; 17.22; 22.15; 23.8, 20). The rendering often coincides with that of ‘to wish’ or ‘to want,’ although ‘to desire’ basically refers to a stronger emotion.

Old wine … new. The connotation ‘old’ has here is considerably more favourable than in vv. 36f, the ‘old wine’ being ‘matured/mellow’; hence, ‘dry (i.e. strong)’: ‘weak’ (Bali). But in many languages the usual terms for ‘old (of age)’ and ‘new/young’ have proved satisfactory.

The old is good, or, ‘tastes good’ (cf. Ekari, Balinese), implies comparison, and, therefore, may be rendered more idiomatically by a comparative from or construction, as e.g. in Santili.

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.