I am refinishing a walut dining table, originally finished 30 years ago.  The sapwood was stained dark at that time, but has now faded to beige.  In addition, the pores in the sapwood are dark, probably stain or filler residue.  The beige wood with dark pores looks pretty ugly.

I want to color the sapwood to better match the heartwood before I refinish.  The new finish will be a brushed on polyurethane varnish, and I probably will use a tinted paste wood filler before applying the finish.

My research into old FWW articles suggests using a water-based stain on the sapwood, or perhaps a gel stain applied to the entire surface to even out the color.

Any suggestions as to the best way to darken the sapwood to better match the heartwood, in a way that does not look too obvious and will hold the color?

Thanks.