Zesty Compass

Getting into the wine industry isn’t exactly a walk in the park. A new kid on the block must learn about the grapes, fermentation, bottling and corking. But that’s not all.

There are the challenges of differentiating yourself from other local brands and competing with large national brands with word of mouth and top retail placements.

Zahra Finley embraced the challenges head-on, with tenacity and creativity.

“Persistence and innovation have…been key to overcoming hurdles along the way,” said Finley. 

After 20 years in corporate operations and as the current director of compliance for a healthcare law firm, Finley is already an expert at operating a business. 

With such a strong operations background, the entrepreneurial pull makes sense, but why wine?

It all started with a gift.

Eight years ago, Finley’s husband gifted her a wine making class. It was something like love at first sight. “I fell in love with wine and wine culture,” she said.

She calls wine a passion-project-turned-hobby-turned-business. “After the pandemic I decided that as a wife, mother and grandmother, I wanted to do something for myself,” Finley said.

Three years ago, Zesty Compass was born.

“I wanted to build a brand that brings people together, one that resonates with the way I live life, with zest,” she said.

The zest theme appears in many areas of the wine business, starting with the name. The name, Zesty Compass, comes from Finley’s goal to provide a zesty experience for her customers. 

For Finley, Zesty represents the feeling she wants her products to bring to people and Compass represents travel and adventure. Finley wants her customers to bring these concepts together to live their best (er, zest?) lives. Thus, the business adopted two taglines: ‘Live Your Zest Life!’ and ‘Cheers to Living Your Zest Life’. 

True to her background, Finley started big - Zesty Compass is more than just the wine collection. 

“We are a wine company; we are a wine brand – we started with our Zesty Compass Wine Collection and have added our North Star Sparkling Collection. We are also a distribution company, an importer and exporter and a bottling company as well,” she said. 

In addition to the many facets of wine that Finley has incorporated into her venture, she is also dipping her toe into the aromatherapy industry.

In the center of the display at Northside, between the Zesty Compass Collection and the North Star Sparkling Brut Collection is the ZC Aromas Collection. Featuring diffusers and candles, the scents aren’t a complete departure from the wine.

“They heighten the wine tasting experience, open up your senses and give you a different experience with each wine,” Finley said.

Finley finds success comes directly from making a strong connection with her customers.

She builds these connections through brand events and wine tastings. 

Finley believes in listening to her customers and uses their suggestions to continue innovate with her various wine blends and collections. 

The draw of Akron’s Northside Marketplace for Finley was the ability to get her collections and her story in front of new customers.

“The location also allows us to share our story with both local shoppers and visitors from around Ohio, further building our community presence,” Finley said. 

Zesty Compass is available in multiple locations, including its main building at 7537 Mentor Ave, Mentor, Ohio. They currently ship their products to 40 states, and they’re still growing.  

Giving the ‘Zest’ Gift

To celebrate that special someone, the Zesty Compass offers a variety of items that make perfect gifts, including their signature wines. Wine can certainly be enjoyed for a romantic occasion, but it also makes a fantastic gift for any host or hostess of any special event this winter season. And, with local roots and a great story, gifting Zesty can spark a fun conversation about shopping local, finding your passion, or wines themselves.

Finley highly recommends the North Star Sparkling Brut for sweet treat gifting. This dessert wine pairs wonderfully with yummy treats. 

Aren’t sure your recipient drinks wine? Then, tap into the ZC Aromas collection and bring a candle or diffuser to pamper them. Again, they make great conversation pieces when you mention that the scents are non-toxic and eco-friendly.

For something extra special, order a custom gift box from Zesty Compass. These boxes can be filled with items from both the wine and aroma collections, allowing you to select their favorite white, red or blush and pair it with a complementary scent. ZC also offers t-shirts, tote bags, and wine glasses. 

Who knows, maybe the person receiving your gift will find inspiration to turn their passion-project or hobby into something more after hearing Finley’s story. And they will definitely enjoy some delicious wine.

To learn more about holiday and seasonal offerings, follow the Zesty Compass Instagram.