Here is a loose guide to fermentation, there are exceptions. Fruit = wine, grain = beer and honey = mead. In the end it depends on process and what was used to ferment it. For instance, if I fermented apple juice with an ale yeast it becomes a cider, if its fermented with a wine yeast its a apfelwine, if I distill either it becomes a brandy, but again there are exceptions.
Check out:
http://www.bjcp.org/index.php for some good learning.
Here is my recipe for a semi-sweet cyser mead.
Step one: Make a starter 12-24 hours in advance: Activate wyeast 3787 smackpack and wait 3-4 hours. add 1tsp of nutrient and 1tsp of energiser, yeast and half a liter of fresh pressed apple cider to a one gallon demijohn. cover with tinfoil or airlock. At this stage your growing yeast, not making mead. Swirl often to add oxygen to to your starter. Wait 12-24 hours for yeast to grow. This step is very important.
Step two: warm your honey (12 pounds) so it flows. I like to fill my sink with hot water and place my unopened honey jugs in it for 30 minutes or so, Sanatize a hand blender. When your ready add all your honey to your fermenting bucket. Cream the honey with the blender, this adds oxygen to the honey. Slowly add apple juice (4.5 gallons) to the mix and use blender to mix it up. I feel this is the easiest way to mix and add oxygen. Others may have better techniques. Add 2 tsp of energizer and 2tsp of nutrient and blend that in. Take a gravity reading.
Step 3: Pitch the entire yeast starter, over the course of a few days slowly let the mead raise in temperature. Your using a Belgain Yeast, fermenting hot isnt an issue. When 60% of the sugars are consumed add 1tsp of nutirent and 1tsp of energiser.
step 4: Monitor your gravity readings, when it hasn't changed for three days rack off into a secondary for bulk aging. The longer you wait the better.
This is my process and it produces great results for me. Try it and adjust to your own liking.