47-55.1 Red Oak Stain?

[leegreen]

You might look into ammonia fuming, it will darken the board a bit and highlight the grain, then you apply finish over after. It is something you need to test on your particular wood.

If you want the finish to last, you need to seal top, bottom sides, screw holes and any scratches it gets in future. I'd look into an oil based marine finish like Deks Olje. Wipe some more on every year or so and it will stay looking good, no sanding needed.
In contrast re-varnishing requires re-sanding and you'd have to take the boards off to do a good job.