Wine or spirit aging in oak barrel modifies organoleptic quality of the beverage due to two main phenomena: firstly, the wood releases aromatic compounds which enrich the liquid and, secondly, transfer properties of wood allow a mild oxygenation all along maturation. This oxygenation may be affected by the width of the wood rings, the oak species and intensity of toasting in cooperage. In this paper, a set of experiments is presented for a better understanding of O2 transfer in wood, in relation with its intrinsic parameters. The oxygen diffusion through wood is analysed using a custom experimental device. Wood samples are placed in an airtight holder to obtain 1-D gaseous transfer. To that purpose, a plug is placed at the back face of the sample to avoid mass transfer. The measurement principle consists in submitting the front face to a sudden change of O2 concentration and measuring the evolution of O2 concentration at the back face using optical oxygen sensors (First Sensors, XYO). This experiment reveals that the growth ring width has a strong impact on oxygen diffusion (ten times faster for fine grain than for coarse grain). Oxygen transfer is not only related to the intrinsic properties of the wood. It also depends on the physical state of this porous media, mainly due to its hygroscopic properties. The oxygen diffusion through the barrel is reduced by the presence of liquid in wood. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the depth of impregnation front during maturation in barrels. The moisture content field in wood is studied using a 2-D X-ray imaging system composed of an X-ray microfocus source (Hamamatsu L8601-01) and a digital X-ray detector (Fibre Optic Imagestar, Photonic Science). One face of the sample is in contact with either distilled water or a 40 % diluted hydroalcoholic solution. Images are recorded at different impregnation times for several months. An image processing has been developed to automatically analyse the raw data. In particular, image correlation is used to follow the deformation field. So, we can monitor the migration of the hygroscopic water – the so-called bound water causing the swelling of wood cell walls – and of the liquid flow in the cell lumens. Depending on the wood anatomy and the nature of liquid, the depth of liquid impregnation varies from 3 mm to 12 mm. Finally, the coupled liquid and oxygen transfer is intended to be studied by combining the two experimental devices, which is a great challenge due to additive experimental constraints. During the impregnation of liquid, followed by the X-ray imaging system, the oxygen content is measured on the front – inside liquid phase – and on the back side of the sample – inside gaseous phase – through noninvasive optical oxygen sensor spots (PreSens, PSt6). Several changes of O2 rate are submitted to the front face. This schedule will enable to assess the evolution of the average coefficient of O2 diffusion during wine and spirit maturation.