Brewing a full barrel with friends

Hi,

I'm considering the idea of buying a used barrel so me and some guys could fill it up by brewing the same beer together.
I have lots of Qs I couldn't find answers to online. If anybody knows a good informative guide about this, I'll appreciate it (does this kind of project have a common name?)

A few questions:

1. I can only get hold of wine barrels. french oak. probably previously used for red wine. are these any good? (can't get ones used for spirits in my country).

2.How should I treat these before usage ? its wood ! how do I sanitize wood?

3. What styles would you guys recommend? I was thinking about something strong and malty that would happily age.

4. (maybe the biggest Q) Do I ferment in it or just bulk age???

found this link, but its not too informative: (although nice )
Big Barrel Brew, Part 1 at Fat Boy Deluxe

Thanks a lot!

{If you'll be helpful, I'll save you a bottle. You could pick it up the next time you're visiting Jerusalem }

1/3. Red wine barrels are great for big stouts, barley wines, almost any really big beer. My favorite brewery does a RIS in used Pinot Noir barrels for a winter seasonal.
2. Boiling water
4. Age only.

What several clubs in the area have done is have 10-12 people brew the same beer, then pour it in the keg for aging. You need about 10% extra for topping off as the beer ages because of evaporation through the wood. We called it "The Barrel Project".